Substances of Abuse in Nevada; Impaired MDs

Question 1

What is the lifetime prevalence rate for dependence among physicians?

Answer 1

8-14% (these rates are similiar for the general pop)

Question 2

More medical students and residents have used alcohol in the past month (85.7%) compared to who?

Answer 2

age matched peers

Question 3

(blank) percent of residents surveyed had used Bz’s or Opiates in the past month, primarily for “self treatment”

Answer 3

4.4%

Question 4

Do medical residents self prescribed? Is it just the US?

Answer 4

ooohhh yeahhhhh about 52% do this

no, UK 84% of residents did this

Question 5

Of prescribed medications, where does the majority of the medications come from?

Answer 5

sample cabinet (42%)
drug reps (11%)

Question 6

When psychotropic or analgesic meds were used (blank) percent of the time they were self prescribed

Answer 6

44%

cannot self prescribe schedule 2 or 3 legally, but people do it

Question 7

T or F
MD tend to diagnose and treat themselves
-Seek less than appropriate consults on self
-Get tx by close professional friends (thus, less than objective evals and delayed tx)
-fear loss of status/authority with becoming a patient-

Answer 7

T

Question 8

What are the grounds for iniating disciplinary action against a drug abusing physician?

Answer 8

• inability to practice medicine..because of the use of alcohol, drugs, narcotics
• self prescribing
• habitual intoxication from alcohol or dependency on controlled substances
• failure to report any person the licensee knows or has known is in violation of this chapter or the regulations of this board

Question 9

What is JCAHO?

Why is this important?

Answer 9

Organizations that accredits hospitals and thus allows them to receive medicaid reimbursement
-gives the hospitals an incentive to keep their doctors “clean”

Question 10

What is diversion (PHP)?

Answer 10

docs have a substance/alcohol problem are diverted to get treatment rather than discipline them

Question 11

How are the success rates in terms of recovery for physicians?

Answer 11

better than national average :)

Question 12

OF those who start AA (blank) will drop out within 3 months

Answer 12

1/2

Question 13

Does length of tx matter for physician recovery?

Answer 13

oooohhh yeah, the longer the better (3-4 month = 85% recovery vs 4-6 week=37%)

Question 14

IF physicians dont recovery, what do they do?

Answer 14

kill themselves

Question 15

What are the characteristics of physicians and abuse?

Answer 15

we start younger
just as susceptible to abuse
more likley to recover or kill themselves