Ayça TUZCU, Mehmet ÇETİN, Kenan YÖRÜK, Yusuf KURTULMUŞ, Mustafa YILMAZ
Meandros Medical and Dental Journal - 2026;27(3):439-446
Objective: This study retrospectively evaluated urine drug screening test results performed at the Medical Biochemistry Laboratory of Aydın Adnan Menderes University Hospital before, during, and after the COVID -19 pandemic, in order to assess the impact of the pandem ic on urine drug screening positivity rates. Materials and Methods: Based on the World Health Organization's official pandemic timeline, the study period was divided into three periods: pre -pandemic (11 March 2018 -10 March 2020), pandemic (11 March 2020-5 May 2023), and post -pandemic (6 May 2023 -5 May 2025). Amphetamine, benzodiazepine, cannabinoid, cocaine, and opiate screening results of all patients, without age restriction, were retrieved through the Hospital Information Management System/Laboratory Information System, and the entire population wa s evaluated without sampling. Categorical variables were analyzed using the chi -square test, and age comparisons were performed using ANOVA/Kruskal -Wallis tests in SPSS, with p<0.05 considered statistically significant. Results: A total of 3439 specimens (2958 patients) were evaluated (pre -pandemic n=723, pandemic n=1483, post -pandemic n=1233). The positivity rate for at least one substance group increased from 24.2% in the pre -pandemic period to 42.1% during the pandemic, and de clined to 26.7% in the post -pandemic period (chi²=103.9; df=2; p<0.001). Amphetamine positivity rose from 4.5% before the pandemic to 30.0% during the pandemic and declined to 12.0% afterward; benzodiazepine and cannabinoid positivity showed smaller but statistically significant fluctuations across the same periods, while opiate and cocaine positivity remained low and stable throughout the study. Conclusion: Substance use screening positivity rates increased markedly during the pandemic period and, although partially declining afterward, remained above pre -pandemic levels. These findings suggest that the pandemic process may have left a lasting effect on subs tance use patterns.
