Summary & Overview
CPT 80324: Amphetamine Detection/Quantification in Patient Specimen
CPT code 80324 represents a laboratory toxicology assay that measures or detects one or two amphetamines in a patient specimen. Nationally, this code is used in clinical toxicology, substance use monitoring, forensic screening, and therapeutic oversight where identification of stimulant exposure is clinically relevant. Accurate coding of 80324 affects clinical documentation, laboratory workflows, and payer coverage determinations for drug testing services.
Key payers covered in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise overview of the clinical context for amphetamine testing, typical sites of service, and payer coverage considerations. The publication outlines common billing modifiers and highlights what benchmarks and policy update areas to review for this type of laboratory service. It also describes typical clinical use cases such as substance use disorder monitoring, workplace testing, and clinical toxicology evaluations.
This resource provides clinicians, laboratory managers, and billing professionals with clear, actionable information about the purpose of CPT code 80324, the clinical settings where it is performed, and the payer landscape relevant to national billing and coverage practices.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 80324 describes a laboratory assay in which a lab analyst measures the amount of, or detects the presence of, one or two amphetamines in a patient specimen. This service is a toxicology/drug monitoring test used to identify central nervous system stimulant compounds in biological samples.
Service type: Laboratory — toxicology/drug of abuse testing
Typical site of service: Clinical laboratory or hospital laboratory (ambulatory collection sites and inpatient settings as clinically indicated)
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A 28-year-old patient presents to an emergency department after a motor vehicle collision with suspected impairment from stimulants. The treating clinician orders a urine toxicology screen specifically for amphetamines to assist acute management and disposition. A phlebotomy or urine sample is collected and labeled; the specimen is routed to the hospital clinical laboratory. A medical technologist performs qualitative or quantitative testing to detect one or two amphetamine analytes using immunoassay screening followed by confirmatory chromatographic methods when required. Results are reported to the ordering clinician and documented in the electronic health record, supporting clinical decisions such as monitoring, treatment of adverse effects, decisions about driving safety, or involvement of substance-use counseling services. Typical site of service is an acute care hospital laboratory or standalone clinical laboratory serving emergency department, inpatient, or outpatient clinic specimens.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
00 | No modifier | Standard reporting; used when no other modifier applies |
26 | Professional component | When only the laboratory professional's interpretation or oversight is billed separately |