Screening is not always the answer

Evaluations released today by AHRQ recommend NOT screening for drug abuse and vaginosis.Despite politicians' desires to look as though they are doing something useful, passing laws to require screening for many conditions does not meet the standards of scientific scrutiny, The major problem is a false positive; labelling people as having a condition when screened for while they do not have it. A false accusation of drug use has many disastrous effects. The evidence shows the treatment programs are minimally effective, despite the claims of proponents. A false negative is much less harmful.