Will Prescription Medicine Affect a 9 Panel Drug Screen?
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My husband and I are going through a divorce and he is requiring me to take a 9 panel drug screen to grant joint custody of my children. I read online that the 9 panel drug screen includes Xanax. I am prescribed Xanax by my doctor and wondering will that prescription affect my test results? Also, I have used marijuana a couple of times in the last couple of months. The 9 panel drug screen is a hair follicle test, is THC included?
Laura, Dallas TX
Hi Laura, 
Testing companies like AMH Nationwide typically handle a lot of these very stressful situations and are a great resource to help you through the testing process discreetly and professionally. The 9 panel hair follicle drug test includes amphetamines, cocaine, marijuana, opiates, phencyclidine (PCP), benzodiazepines, Barbiturates, propoxyphene and methadone. Xanax is a barbiturate so, if you take Xanax regularly as prescribe it is likely to result as a positive on your 9 panel drug screen. After testing with a company like AMH Nationwide, if a specimen is positive after being tested in a confirmatory process using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, it is sent to a Medical Review Office so the prescription is verified. At the Nation Medical Review Office your prescription will be confirmed and if the drug in question is used as prescribed then it will be listed as negative. The test is designed to determine abuse not prescribed use. As for the marijuana because the 9 panel hair follicle test is not designed to detect THC metabolites, hair follicle tests are great for determining light usage. Therefore, if you only used once or twice THC is less likely to be detected on the 9 panel hair follicle test. If we can answer any further questions, please contact us!