Given the ongoing pandemic and consequent increased demands placed upon the nation’s healthcare professionals—doctors, nurses and all medical caregivers—it should come as no surprise many of their ranks have struggled with issues of substance abuse or addiction. In an attempt to cope with or self-medicate from the additional COVID-related stresses, responsibilities, physical pain, sleep deprivation…
When most dentists show up for work at a dental office, they’re not working alongside another dentist who is impaired by alcohol or drugs. Still, statistics indicate anywhere from 12 to 19% of dentists face a substance use disorder within their lifetime.[1] Given this understandably surprising (if not startling) information, the question arises: What can…
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) estimates that 10-15% of healthcare professionals will misuse drugs or alcohol at some point in their career, which is similar to the rate of the rest of the population.[1] However, there are numerous occupational hazards unique to pharmacists involving risk factors such as: · Easy access…
When dealing with a substance abuse issue, addicted professionals must deal with it differently. Being a professional puts addiction in a completely different light and calls for distinctive addiction treatment solutions. There are many professionals who are addicted to some substance or another, but people often don’t realize the extent of their problem. Sometimes professionals…
Given the current COVID-19 health crisis, every U.S. community depends on the mental health of its frontline healthcare workers, including emergency and hospital personnel, doctors and nurses. According to a new study, those regularly facing pandemic-related stressors are at greater risk for mental health problems. The research, which was published in the November 2020 online…
[Note to Reader: This is “Part Two” in a 2-part blog-post. Please go to Archives for “Part One.”] In seeking to maximize patient safety, all U.S. states offer some form of an “impaired healthcare professionals program” aimed at assisting doctors, nurses and others in the healthcare field who’re struggling with a substance use disorder to…
The Challenges Addicted Doctors & Nurses Face Require Specialized Diagnosis and Treatment – PART ONE Most people in the U.S. consider doctors and nurses to be representatives of healthy habits and lifestyles, and indeed research has shown that assumption is generally true. Those in the healthcare field tend to smoke less and exercise more.[1] However,…
Most people would agree: Being a healthcare worker—especially during the current COVID-19 pandemic—isn’t a career for the faint of heart. Doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals shoulder a lot of responsibility and regularly work in demanding, high-pressure environments. (I can’t imagine a more stressful place to work, these days, than a hospital or medical clinic.)…
In 2017, a team of researchers led by Dr. John S. Rose of the University of California, Davis Health System, analyzed the data from a 5-year longitudinal cohort study[1] conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of U.S. physician health programs (PHPs) in treating physicians with substance use disorders (aka addiction to alcohol and/or drugs). The purpose…
It should go without saying that nurses who have an untreated substance use disorder (addiction to alcohol or drugs) are not only endangering themselves, but their patients, as well. One of the key words in this statement is “untreated.” Why? Because untreated implies addiction is treatable. Indeed, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse,…