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Associated Press – December 19, 2007:
Troubling cases in which doctors were accused of botching operations while undergoing treatment for drugs or alcohol have led to criticism of rehab programs that allow thousands of U.S. physicians to keep their addictions hidden from their patients.
Nearly all states have confidential rehab programs that let doctors continue practicing as long as they stick with the treatment regimen. Nationwide, as many as 8,000 doctors may be in such programs, by one estimate.
These arrangements largely escaped public scrutiny until last summer, when California’s medical board outraged physicians across the country by abolishing its 27-year-old program. A review concluded that the system failed to protect patients or help addicted doctors get better.
My wife worked for a physician for many years, You’d be surprised how many docs have drug issues.
Drug addicted Blog editors are allowed to work as well and they don’t even have to be in a rehab program.
All you have to do is see the majority of stories here to see the problems that causes.
Get up on the wrong side of the bed today?
#2 – I think the problem is drug-addicted readers who don’t comprehend what they read. 😛
P.S. House is a perfect example.
“California’s medical board outraged physicians across the country by abolishing its 27-year-old program”
Too bad they don’t get as worked up about the state of medical care in the US, to fix it. They seem to be more concerned about protecting their own asses. So much for the Hypocratic oath. They should be ratting out, and weeding out, their own debilitated colleagues. Rather then risking the public health, to protect these doctors’ careers. It’s still apparently an “us against them” society of the privileged.
They’ve got more stringently observed rules of conduct for Miss America padgent contestants, than for american doctors. Isn’t that sad?! Hey, it’s all about PR.
#6, gregallen,
Good point. Any addict should be given medical help for a medical problem. That may mean constant monitoring for a length of time to ensure they remain clean. Prison is not the answer though.