Reentry monitoring in the treatment of physicians with substance dependence.

A total of 37 physicians and other health care professionals have been accepted into a monitoring and advocacy program for an average of 24 months. Thirty-five are working in their profession, one is in treatment, and one has repeatedly relapsed and is no longer practicing medicine (an overall improvement rate of 97%). The elements of "reentry monitoring" are identified and proposed as a standard for the treatment of physicians with substance dependence.