a friend is being drug tested by her doctor and was wondering if vicodin and percocet showed up the same thing

Answer 1

Vicodin is hydrocodone and Percocet is Oxycodone. They are not the same thing, but will both show up as a positive under the same category in a drug test.

Answer 2

Yes, prescription opiates will show up the same as street narcotics because the tests actually catch what is called a metabolite.

After the medicine or drug (same thing really) is in your blood it passes through your liver. You liver's job is to get toxins our of your body, it does this by changing the chemical's lipid (fat) solubility. Basically so it can be pee'd out.

Anyhow, when you have a drug test you need to tell the technician any prescription drugs you have had. Even a poppy seed muffin can sometimes set off a false positive on a very sensitive test.

In any case she should be allowed a retest and allowed to give her doctor's prescription as evidence of her innocence.

Of course depending on the job, forklift operator, pilot, surgeon you may not be allowed to work that day even if it is legal.