The addicted physician. A rational response to an irrational disease.

Physicians are as likely to experience drug and alcohol addiction as anyone in the general population. They are more likely than others, however, to abuse prescription medications. Dealing with an impaired colleague is a difficult, emotionally charged job for physician leaders and hospital administrators, who've often had little training on how to handle such a situation. In addition to describing a case of an addicted physician, this article reviews data about the incidence of addiction among physicians and the challenges associated with confronting such a problem. It also describes the legal reporting requirements and resources such as the Minnesota Health Professionals Services Program and Physicians Serving Physicians that can help physicians get into treatment programs designed specifically for health care professionals. Physicians who go through such treatment programs and subsequent monitoring have been found to have remarkable recovery rates.