are phsyicans required to report patient substance use

by Dashawn Will 9 min read

Substance Abuse Confidentiality Regulations | SAMHSA

17 hours ago Because substance use disorders carry such a stigma, primary care clinicians who screen their patients for substance abuse unavoidably intrude on their autonomy and their privacy. Whether clinicians screen through laboratory testing or by administering behavioral questionnaires, they are seeking very personal information. >> Go To The Portal


FDA requires all sponsors of IND applications, including physicians who administer an investigational drug to a patient, to report adverse events. See the Reporting Requirements Chart What to report? As a treating physician, you must report any suspected adverse reaction to treatment that is both serious and unexpected in an IND Safety Report.

Full Answer

Should we report physician colleagues with substance abuse?

Despite national trends, medicine remains a largely self-regulated profession, and we have an ethical obligation to report impaired, incompetent, or unethical colleagues. Rarely are the indications for reporting or identifying a colleague clear. As trained clinicians, we know the signs of substance abuse: 6

Can my doctor report drug use to the police?

Your doctor isn’t legally allowed to report drug use to the police. The only situations in which doctors can break confidentially is if there’s concern about someone seriously harming themselves or others. Our main focus is on your health and how to partner with you to improve your health.

How do I report drug abuse in a healthcare facility?

First: Report the incident to the healthcare worker’s supervisor or employer. Tell someone in charge, such as a clinical supervisor, department head, or, when possible, the healthcare facility’s drug-diversion team.

What do we know about substance abuse among physicians?

Most public attention focused on substance abuse among physicians has concerned physicians in practice. It is reasonable to expect that substance use among practicing physicians is based on behaviors during and before medical training.

Can my doctor report me for drug use?

Is your doctor allowed to report you to the authorities? No. Your doctor isn't legally allowed to report drug use to the police. The only situations in which doctors can break confidentially is if there's concern about someone seriously harming themselves or others.

What is the role of public health in addressing substance abuse?

Public health approaches recognize the multi-faceted nature of substance misuse and focus on addressing the myriad of individual, environmental, and social factors that contribute to SUDs.

Who can diagnose a substance use disorder?

Diagnosing drug addiction (substance use disorder) requires a thorough evaluation and often includes an assessment by a psychiatrist, a psychologist, or a licensed alcohol and drug counselor. Blood, urine or other lab tests are used to assess drug use, but they're not a diagnostic test for addiction.

What percentage of doctors abuse drugs?

Approximately 10% to 12% of physicians will develop a substance use disorder during their careers, a rate similar to or exceeding that of the general population.

Is drug use a public health issue?

As has been mentioned, substance abuse is a public health concern that involves human biological and physical needs, psychosocial demands, cognitive and spiritual fulfillment, and environmental formulations.

How do you address substance abuse in the community?

Current strategies for reducing youth use and adult substance abuse include:Increase community collaboration to reduce substance abuse.Increase and align community substance abuse prevention messaging.Increase access to skill-building opportunities for parents and adults working with youth to reduce youth use.More items...

What criteria determines if a client has a substance use disorder?

Criteria for Substance Use Disorder Social or interpersonal problems related to use: Substance use has caused relationship problems or conflicts with others. Neglected major roles to use: You have failed to meet your responsibilities at work, school, or home because of substance use.

What qualifies as substance abuse?

The use of illegal drugs or the use of prescription or over-the-counter drugs or alcohol for purposes other than those for which they are meant to be used, or in excessive amounts. Substance abuse may lead to social, physical, emotional, and job-related problems.

What are the four main DSM-5 criteria for substance use disorder?

These criteria fall under four basic categories — impaired control, physical dependence, social problems and risky use: Using more of a substance than intended or using it for longer than you're meant to.

Which healthcare providers have the highest substance abuse rates?

Doctors and nurses account for some of the highest rates of addiction in the workforce....Common signs of addiction in doctors and nurses include:Unusually friendly relationship with doctors that prescribe medications.Incomplete charting or repeated errors in paperwork.More items...•

What profession does the most drugs?

According to the data, the industries with the highest rates of past-year substance use disorder were:Accommodations and food service: 16.9%Construction: 14.3%Arts, entertainment, and recreation: 12.9%Mining: 11.8%Utilities: 11.5%

Are most doctors alcoholics?

In particular, alcoholism, and medical professionals with alcoholism, are an all too common, and dangerous, combination. Studies report that at least 10 to 12 percent of healthcare professionals will develop a substance use disorder during their careers, including at least 1 in 10 physicians, and 1 in 5 nurses.

Epidemiology and Risk Factors

  • The biggest fear is being reported to the authorities. Thanks to doctor-patient confidentiality, this fear is often only as big as you make it. A doctor cannot discuss the information you share in confidence, and if they do, you can take legal recourse, even when admitting something like heroin or cocaine use.
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Medical Students

Resident Physicians

Practicing Physicians

  • Because substance use disorders are commonly evidenced early in adult life, examining substance abuse in medical students may provide some information concerning substance abuse patterns among physicians as a whole. Clark and colleagues performed a longitudinal study of one class of medical students during their time at a Midwestern medical school. Over the 4 year…
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Medicolegal Issues

  • Residency training represents the most intense period of training for physicians and may well be the most stressful because of the long hours and rapid acceleration in clinical care responsibilities assumed. Few studies have assessed the prevalence of substance use disorders among resident physicians. Hurwitz and colleagues began a study in 1981 that assessed the pre…
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Identification, Intervention, Treatment, and Aftercare

  • Most public attention focused on substance abuse among physicians has concerned physicians in practice. It is reasonable to expect that substance use among practicing physicians is based on behaviors during and before medical training. Valliant and co-workers studied the childhood of 47 physicians in comparison to 79 socioeconomically matched contr...
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Immediate Intervention

  • Legal aspects of physician impairment are handled primarily at the state level. Laws and legislative action relevant to this topic may vary from state to state. State medical societies typically play a major role in addressing physician impairment. Despite this variability, common themes underlie state efforts to address physician impairment. State licensing organizations fun…
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Evaluation and Triage to The Appropriate Facility

  • In 1981, Spickard and Billings reported their concern about alcoholism in a medical school faculty. Seven members of the Vanderbilt faculty (five professors, one associate professor, and one assistant professor) in both the basic science and clinical departments had typical behavior of alcoholics that was ignored by their colleagues. This conspiracy of silence was a form of enabli…
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Uninterrupted Therapy

  • When a physician is found to be disabled by addiction to alcohol or drugs and his or her effectiveness as a physician is in doubt, there should be a caring, professional, well-organized intervention to prevent destruction of physical, emotional, spiritual, family, and professional life. The authors agree with Talbott and Martin that impaired physicians for a variety of reasons cann…
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Family Involvement

  • Once the intervention is complete and the physician agrees to go into treatment, a comprehensive evaluation determines the appropriate facility for care. For some physicians, a thorough psychiatric evaluation is required if severe depression, bipolar disease, or other psychiatric illness is suspected. In most patients, depression is usually a result of the addiction, and the symptom…
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