Drug and Alcohol Rehab for Healthcare Professionals

According to the Critical Care Medicine Journal, it is projected that 10% to 15% of all medical staff will grapple with drug or alcohol misuse at some point in their careers. The Harvard Review of Psychiatry adds that those who work in the medical field have a higher risk of abusing prescription pharmaceuticals, with the misuse of narcotics and benzodiazepines being the most prevalent.

It should not come as a surprise that substance addiction is at the center of many disputes between medical professionals and the bodies that employ them. For example, based on data gathered by the Texas Tribune, almost one-third of all disciplinary actions against Texas nurses involve drug usage.

Like those in other fields where addiction is a problem, medical professionals may use drugs or alcohol to deal with the pressures of their jobs or help them get through the long, demanding shifts they often work.

However, one of the most important aspects that separate addiction among healthcare workers from that seen in the general population is their greater access to addictive medications. It shouldn’t be surprising that healthcare workers, such as nurses and doctors, have far more access to addictive drugs like fentanyl and other opioids than the general public does.

Researchers also have additional hypotheses to explain why those who work in the medical field may have a greater risk of developing an addiction. One of these hypotheses is that medical practitioners may be more likely to self-medicate, which often results in abuse of the prescription.