ADVISORY/Supreme Court Rules Against Drug Testing for Maternity Patients

Business Wire, March 21, 2001

Business Editors

ADVISORY...

--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 21, 2001

TOPIC: Public hospitals may not give drug tests to pregnant women without the
patient's informed consent or a valid warrant, according to a U.S. Supreme
Court ruling. The ruling reportedly stated the tests violated patients' privacy
rights, according to a Reuters article. In 1989, the Medical University of
South Carolina operated under the policy that the medical staff was to perform
urine drug tests on maternity patients who appeared to be drug abusers. The
policy is said to have been created to encourage mothers-to-be to seek drug
counseling, the article states. EXPERTS: ExpertSource can offer several highly
qualified experts to comment on this story:

Ray Kubacki is the CEO of Psychemedics Corporation, a company specializing in hair testing for drugs of abuse. Psychemedics has been a leader in the hair testing industry for over a decade and its tests have been upheld in numerous court cases. PR: Daniel Reing, Senior Account Executive (Daniel_Reing@edelman.com).

Mr. Thomas Rundquist, of Nova Counseling Associates Inc. (a Nova Media unit), has 30 years of experience counseling and writing on social issues such as drugs and race relations. His political involvement includes writing platforms on crime and drugs, national health care, education and human rights. 231/796-4637

Dr. Helen DuPlessis, chief medical officer of L.A. Care Health Plan, can share her expertise on Medicaid restructuring, quality assurance in children's health programs, prenatal care access, substance abuse during pregnancy and the cost and health outcomes of very low birthweight infants and adolescent pregnancies. PR: Keith Malone (kmalone@lacare.org).

Professor Henry Fradella, J.D., Ph.D., of The College of New Jersey, Department of Law and Justice, is an expert in criminal law and procedure and right to privacy. 609/771-2271

ExpertSource cannot guarantee the immediate availability of these experts or their familiarity with this specific issue.

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