Prevalence of substance use among US physicians
P. H. Hughes, N. Brandenburg, D. C. Baldwin Jr, C. L. Storr, K. M. Williams, J. C. Anthony and D. V. Sheehan
Institute for Research in Psychiatry, University of South Florida, Tampa.
OBJECTIVE--To estimate the prevalence of substance use among US physicians.
DESIGN--A mailed, anonymous, self-report survey that assessed use of 13
substances and permitted comparison with results of the National Household
Survey on Drug Abuse. Rates of physician substance use were weighted to
provide national prevalence estimates. PARTICIPANTS--A national sample of
9600 physicians, stratified by specialty and career stage, and randomly
selected from the American Medical Association master file. The response
rate after three mailings was 59%. Demographic characteristics of
respondents closely reflected those of the US physician population. MAIN
OUTCOME MEASURES--Subjects' self-reported use of 13 substances in their
lifetime, the past year, and the past month; reasons for use; self-admitted
substance abuse or dependence; and whether treatment was received. For
controlled prescription substances, respondents were asked to report only
use "not prescribed by another physician for a legitimate medical or
psychiatric condition." RESULTS--Physicians were less likely to have used
cigarettes and illicit substances, such as marijuana, cocaine, and heroin,
in the past year than their age and gender counterparts in the National
Household Survey on Drug Abuse. They were more likely to have used alcohol
and two types of prescription medications--minor opiates and benzodiazepine
tranquilizers. Prescription substances were used primarily for
self-treatment, whereas illicit substances and alcohol were used primarily
for recreation. Current daily use of illicit or controlled substances was
rare. CONCLUSIONS--Although physicians were as likely to have experimented
with illicit substances in their lifetime as their age and gender peers in
society, they were far less likely to be current users of illicit
substances. The higher prevalence of alcohol use among respondents may be
more a characteristic of their socioeconomic class than of their
profession. A unique concern for physicians, however, is their high rate of
self-treatment with controlled medications--a practice that could increase
their risk of drug abuse or dependence. Uniform national guidelines are
needed to sensitize medical students and physicians to the dangers of
self-treatment with controlled prescription substances.
Doctors' health and fitness to practise: treating addicted doctors
Marshall
Occup Med (Lond) 2008;58:334-340.
ABSTRACT
| FULL TEXT
Hazardous alcohol use among hospital doctors in Germany
Rosta
Alcohol Alcohol 2008;43:198-203.
ABSTRACT
| FULL TEXT
Improving the health of psychiatrists
Firth-Cozens
Adv. Psychiatr. Treat. 2007;13:161-168.
ABSTRACT
| FULL TEXT
Problem Doctors: Is There a System-Level Solution?
Leape and Fromson
ANN INTERN MED 2006;144:107-115.
ABSTRACT
| FULL TEXT
How Do Physicians Immunize Their Own Children? Differences Among Pediatricians and Nonpediatricians
Posfay-Barbe et al.
Pediatrics 2005;116:e623-e633.
ABSTRACT
| FULL TEXT
The prevalence of alcohol, cigarette and illicit drug use and problems among dentists
KENNA and WOOD
Journal of the American Dental Association 2005;136:1023-1032.
ABSTRACT
| FULL TEXT
The Caregiver Role Identity Scale: A Validation Study
Siebert and Siebert
Research on Social Work Practice 2005;15:204-212.
ABSTRACT
Risk Factors for Relapse in Health Care Professionals With Substance Use Disorders
Domino et al.
JAMA 2005;293:1453-1460.
ABSTRACT
| FULL TEXT
Physician Substance Abuse and Recovery: What Does It Mean for Physicians--and Everyone Else?
Gastfriend
JAMA 2005;293:1513-1515.
FULL TEXT
Should physicians be allowed to use alcohol while on call?
Peterman and Desbiens
J. Med. Ethics 2005;31:21-26.
ABSTRACT
| FULL TEXT
A 35-Year-Old Physician With Opioid Dependence
Knight
JAMA 2004;292:1351-1357.
FULL TEXT
Physician Health and Patient Care
Frank
JAMA 2004;291:637-637.
FULL TEXT
Helping physicians with alcohol problems
Brewster
CMAJ 2001;164:179-179.
FULL TEXT
Self-reported Health, Illness, and Self-care Among Finnish Physicians: A National Survey
Toyry et al.
Arch Fam Med 2000;9:1079-1085.
ABSTRACT
| FULL TEXT
Self-prescribing by Physicians
Vatcher et al.
JAMA 1999;281:1488-1490.
FULL TEXT
Quality Improvement and Substance Abuse: Rethinking Impaired Provider Policies
Corsino et al.
American Journal of Medical Quality 1996;11:94-99.
ABSTRACT
SUBSTANCE USE AMONG U.S. PHYSICIANS
JWatch General 1992;1992:3-3.
FULL TEXT