New Fentanyl Urine Screen Available, Tuesday, January 28th, 2025

Effective Tuesday, January 28^th, 2025, the University of Iowa Health Care Medical Center University Campus core clinical laboratory will add fentanyl to urine drug screen panels DRUGS OF ABUSE - URINE [LAB500] and DRUGS OF ABUSE-URINE + CONFIRM [LAB1032]. A standalone urine fentanyl screen will also be available (FENTANYL-URINE SCREEN [LAB9518]).

The fentanyl screen will yield a presumptive positive result in urine samples with norfentanyl (primary fentanyl metabolite) concentrations of 5 ng/mL or higher. The fentanyl screen has variable cross-reactivity with different fentanyl analogs. Standard opiate screens are not sensitive to fentanyl, norfentanyl, or fentanyl analogs. Definitive testing by mass spectrometry should be pursued to confirm unexpected urine drug screen results that will significantly alter patient management.

Sample type is urine clear top tube and turnaround time is within 1 hour of specimen receipt in the laboratory.

Questions should be directed to Anna Merrill, PhD (678-8400, anna-merrill@uiowa.edu) or Matthew Krasowski, MD, PhD (384-9380, matthew-krasowski@uiowa.edu).