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What Does It Mean for Physicians—and Everyone Else?

David R. Gastfriend, MD

JAMA. 2005;293:1513-1515.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

The 10% to 15% prevalence of substance use disorders among physicians is similar to that in the general population,^1-2 but the quality and intensity of treatment given to physicians may far exceed that available to other individuals with these disorders.^3-5 Recognition of the impaired physician began to emerge only in the 1970s⁶ and has led to the development of physician health programs (PHPs). These are now mature models, available in many states, usually through medical societies, as an alternative to monitoring by state government boards of registration in medicine.⁷ In many cases, physicians who voluntarily contract with a PHP may remain anonymous⁷ to the state medical board and the National Practitioner Data Bank, a feature designed to promote early intervention in the disease process, ie, before patients are harmed. Many PHPs now offer services to other health professionals also. Treatment in these programs is probably the . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Author Affiliations: Addiction Research Program, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass. Dr Gastfriend is now vice president of medical affairs, Alkermes Inc, Cambridge, Mass.

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