Yes they do. However, Oxycontin is used for pain that requires a long acting pain med for pain management and is brand for Oxycodone where as Lortab is used for the management of shorter duration pain management sometimes as a "breakthrough" medication for when during the 12 hour Oxycontin starts to "wear off". Lortab is brand for hydrocodone, usually considered less "potent" than that of Oxycodone. It's half life unlike the 12 hour Oxycodone, is about 4-6 hours. My concern is that if these were prescribed for pain management, why the MD did not stick with giving you Oxycodone in the same increments as the Lortab and not combine the two meds, however pharmaceutically equivalent but different. You did not say if these were taken with a prescription or not. What drug tests are looking for is two-fold: 1. How much of the narcotic was in your system at the time and does it meet the amount allowed or permitted by your company? 2. More importantly, do you have a prescription like "fixer upper" eluded to? Not having a prescription for a Schedule II narcotic will certainly guarantee a failed test and therefore-no employment or loss of employment. Whatever you do, DO NOT take these medications at the same time. Bear in mind that Oxycontin is a 12 hour, long acting pain med, and Lortab is released almost immediately. However, Oxycontin is released by 30% of the drug in the first few hours followed by a controlled release over the remaining hours. Of course, there are several variables, such as the milligram dose of each of the two medications. It depends WHEN you took these meds in relation to when you were drug tested. Unfortunately, these tests are very sensitive and there is no way to "beat" or trick" the system into excreting it from your body faster than your normal metabolism. Both have a very high potential for abuse and dependency and if you are taking them more often than prescribed or without a prescription, withdrawal from long term use or abuse is a very unpleasant experience.
To make a L O N G story short, yes they will appear as the same drug but what they are testing for is the amount you have in your system. My guess is that you substituted one for the other and don't have a script for one of them. For the purpose of drug testing they are the "same" but the concentration in your system may be the determining factor here. Just make sure you can produce a script if asked to do so. That is your only "saving grace" for a drug test. You may be asked to submit a note stating why you must take a narcotic if you do long term especially depending on what it is you do for a living. HOWEVER, you DO have HIIPA rights and they are not allowed to examine your medical records without your consent!
I'll be watching this question and am interested in your outcome if you choose to share it. Good luck!
