NCJ Number
122571
Date Published
1990
Length
4 pages
Annotation
An ABC News interview points out that half of all doctors have used illegal drugs and that 1 in 10 is an alcoholic.
Abstract
One doctor used to be chief of obstetrics and gynecology at a large hospital, but lost his job when he became addicted to prescription pain killers. Another individual was a successful dentist before he started using and dealing crack cocaine. Both are patients at a drug treatment facility established primarily for doctors, dentists, and nurses. The center's therapeutic environment includes small, informal peer groups, as well as formal group sessions. The center requires 3 months of treatment, followed by a mandatory 2-year monitoring program with random urine tests. If patients do not stay off drugs, their license to practice medicine could be jeopardized. The interview demonstrates the family isolation caused by drug abuse and the pressures society places on doctors. The issue of whether patients have the right to know if their physicians are recovering addicts is also noted.