Doctors as Patients

It is beyond the scope of this report to explore the issue in depth. Nevertheless, it should be noted that an additional reason for raising the profile of alcohol problems within medical schools and the medical profession is that doctors themselves experience higher than average levels of problems associated with substance misuse including alcohol. Moreover, there is typically a prolonged delay of some years between onset and intervention. During this period, increasing physical, psychological and social damage occurs and the doctors become an ever greater risk to their patients as well as themselves. 38 & 39

This is an aspect that should therefore be included in medical educational programmes and considered in conjunction with improved systems of identification and care of impaired doctors and other health professionals.

References:

38 D. Brooke et al: Addiction as an occupational hazard: 144 doctors with drug and alcohol problems. British Journal of Addiction 919910 86, 1011-1016
39 D. Birch et al: Alcohol drinking, illicit drug use and stress in junior house officers in north-east England. The Lancet. Vol 352. September 5 1998