Drug abuse among medical professionals rarely detected

America's prescription drug epidemic reaches deep into the health care community. Across the country, tens of thousands of doctors, nurses, medical technicians and other health professionals struggle with abuse or addiction.
****************

[elinasarkisian]

I’m actually more inspired to hear about professionals talk about stress and addiction I want to say Thankyou I see this as strength

[truthbombs]

And chronic pain patients are even drug tested before we can get our medications! What a crock!!!

[derekwall]

this goes on more than some hospitals would care to acknowledge

[michaellake]

i know of 2 doctors and 5 nurses addicted to drugs and we put our lives on the line depending on them why aeren't they tested the same as us chronic pain people are tested for drugs on the job shame on you suck,

[stevenherd]

People who've been using opiates for 5, 000 years as far back as the Egyptians it's never going to end

[heather]

I was prescribed Percocet after surgery many years and I just took one pill, few moments later my friend showed up and seen the pill bottle and told me how dangerous and addictive that medication was and it was good enough for me to throw it down the toilet. I’m a coward when is about addictions.

[daleandrews]

As a (male) R.N. on a cardiac telemetry floor and working in ICU as well, I witnessed all kinds of stuff "going down". The ol' "switcheroo"(swapping a saline filled syringe for one filled with usually opioids in a saline suspension) was popular. They look identical to the naked eye. I always thought this sort of thing - especially AT WORK - was foolish on their part. Why not hide the real ones in your knapsack and take it AT HOME where your work isn't scrutinized or you're not tested?

[daleandrews]

I was employed as a male nurse(R.N.) on a telemetry(heart monitoring) floor, ICU(intensive care unit) and a LTAC(long term acute care) facility for many years. I've had HUNDREDS of opportunities to divert all kinds of narcotics and know of a few nurses that have been caught. At least in the cases I've seen, most have been given a second chance, providing they follow the guidelines set down for them.

[abbeycaldwell]

Ok so they commit a crime. They give stealing a new name so it doesnt look as bad then they give them at no cost to their own pocket im sure help. But my kids dad whos got 25 years didn't deserve a chance. The people who dont work at the pharmacy or hospitals that divert pills to to prison. If your well off tho they just make excuses for em. And let em go.

[SalvatoreEscoti]

approximately 25 to 30 % of all physicianas have an addiction, mostley Alcohol.

[floripsbajouco]

My sister got away with stealing 250 tablets of the narcotic Tylenol # 3 from my mother.

[jerryschutte]

The AMA says there are currently 1.1 million Doctors in the U.S. if 100, 000 are addicted that's a shockingly high rate.

[Youubeyrants]

lol i just helped a cokehead surgeon move prior to watching this... synchronicity

[TheSacredSight-vw]

I knew a former nurse that did this. She also shot up her boyfriend (my dear friend of 20 years) with heated up oxy - because his back hurt - and it killed him. Before she killed my friend, she used to giggle about her firing and said "Oh, little ole me... I was a naughty nurse..."

[Catmomma]

Addiction is not a disease. Cancer is a disease, diabetes is a disease, congestive heart disease is a disease, gastroparesis which i suffer from is a disease. MENTAL ILLNESS/DISEASES But choosing to snort or inject a drug claiming you didn't know what was gonna happen is complete bullshit. When I snorted that first pill with my ex Randy Willy and lea Sullivan I was well aware of what I was doing and what could happen i became hooked and used for almost 3 years before i met my husband who was also an addict we got clean with in Maybe a month of meeting each other. We helped and encouraged each other to stay clean 10 years later we are both clean and sober he works full time making a little over a 1000$s every 2 weeks BUT I MADE THAT CHOICE AS AN ADULT I didn't have a DISEASE I HAD AN ADDICTION PROBLEM.

[trafficjon]

Sick and scary '. God bless america

[kirstinetermansen]

It's often that painkiller, going to far ?

[harleygough]

“... and sometimes I think some junkie nurse may be stepping on my medication... Want to score?”
- Benevolent Father Tom Murphy (William Burroughs), the most notorious dope fiend on the coast.

[ronnyclayton]

They'll let these people go to rehab then go right back to work in a hospital, once their caught they should never be allowed to work in a medical setting ever again

[cartconrad]

This highly pisses me off ear doctors and nurses are attics but chronic pain patients are under managed and they wont do anything about it because nobody wants to ride on a 250, 000 to 4 and $1, 000 a year salary as a lot to do with it those big salaries are not going to that's exactly why some of the reason why they won't do it cuz that would mean loss of license but how I Doctor Who is trying to help chronic pain patients has to worry about losing his license this is not make any sense to me I'm sorry but it doesn't