The researchers attributed the higher use of controlled prescription substances to access to the drugs and a tendency to self-medicate. The higher prevalence of alcohol use among physicians, the researchers concluded, was more likely a characteristic of physicians socioeconomic class than of their profession. Clinicians may tend to self-medicate, using alcohol and controlled substances such as benzodiazepines, barbiturates, opiates, and amphetamines. It may be difficult to detect the use of such drugs. Detection is especially difficult when a health professional manages to continue performing his or her job.
Impairment issues are extremely difficult to broach.
You may be tempted to ignore or minimize another clinician s problems until colleagues, employees, or patients are endangered. If you do that, however, patients may be hurt or your practice may be the subject of a malpractice suit. You should make every effort to identify impaired colleagues early and assist them in obtaining help. To begin, keep in mind that almost every state offers intervention and treatment for, and monitoring of, impaired physicians and that, in some states, impaired PAs are eligible to participate in the physician program. In other states, PAs have their own program.