2025 CPT code 80331
(Active) Effective Date: N/A Pathology and Laboratory - Drug Assay Procedures Feed
Definitive drug class screening for six or more non-opioid analgesics.
Modifier 59 may be used to indicate a distinct procedural service when testing is performed on multiple specimen types from the same patient on the same day.
Medical necessity must be established for each instance of testing. Justification may include suspected overdose, therapeutic drug monitoring, or forensic investigation.
Laboratory professionals are responsible for performing the assay. Ordering providers are responsible for appropriate test selection and interpretation of results.
In simple words: This test accurately measures the levels of six or more pain medications (not including strong narcotics like opioids) in a sample like blood or urine.
This code represents the definitive identification and quantification or qualification of six or more non-opioid analgesic drugs and/or their metabolites in a patient specimen using methods such as gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC/MS) or liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry (LC/MS).This excludes presumptive methods like immunoassays.
Example 1: A patient presents to the emergency department with suspected overdose of multiple over-the-counter pain medications. 80331 is used to identify and quantify the specific analgesics ingested., A patient on chronic pain management therapy requires monitoring of medication levels for therapeutic efficacy and compliance. 80331 can be used to assess levels of multiple non-opioid analgesics being taken., A forensic investigation requires identification of non-opioid analgesics present in a biological sample. 80331 can be utilized for this purpose.
Documentation should include the reason for testing, the specific drugs being tested, the specimen type, and the testing methodology.Relevant clinical findings and interpretations should also be documented.
- Specialties:Clinical Chemistry, Toxicology, Emergency Medicine, Pain Management
- Place of Service:Independent Laboratory, Hospital Laboratory, Outpatient Clinic