Hosp Secur Saf Manage. 1991 Oct;12(6):5-11.
Illicit drug use affects every area of the hospital/health care setting and presents thorny legal dilemmas for security directors and risk managers when patients are found using and/or attempting to sell controlled substances. Should you handle it privately or should you call in the police? Do local law enforcement and prosecutors really want to be bothered with every $25 worth of cocaine seized from a patient? If you inform the police and arrests are made, could your hospital develop a reputation as a drug-infested combat zone? If you handle it privately, are you at risk for litigation because of invasion of privacy or an illegal search? On the other hand, if drugs are reported and you do nothing, are you liable for a negligence lawsuit? Clearly, there is a need for proactive planning and policy development prior to being confronted with patient drug possession. In this report, hospital security directors discuss how they handle this situation at their facilities and how they formulate policies and procedures. We'll also offer advice from legal experts on patient privacy issues and interacting with local law enforcement.
非法药物的使用影响着医院/医疗环境的各个方面，当发现患者使用和/或试图出售管制药品时，会给安保主管和风险管理人员带来棘手的法律困境。你是应该私下处理，还是应该报警？当地执法部门和检察官真的愿意为从患者身上查获的每价值25美元的可卡因费心吗？如果你通知警方并实施逮捕，你的医院会因此被视为毒品泛滥的战场吗？如果你私下处理，你会因侵犯隐私或非法搜查而面临诉讼风险吗？另一方面，如果报告了毒品问题而你却无所作为，你会因疏忽诉讼而承担责任吗？显然，在面对患者持有毒品的情况之前，需要进行积极的规划和政策制定。在本报告中，医院安保主管们讨论了他们在各自机构中如何处理这种情况，以及他们如何制定政策和程序。我们还将提供法律专家关于患者隐私问题以及与当地执法部门互动的建议。
