Research shows that about 20 percent of health professionals will experience some form of drug addiction—and its consequent personal and professional toll?during their lifetimes. The shadowy area where the private lives of drug-addicted health care professionals overlap their roles as health care providers becomes a public concern when patient safety is compromised.

However, it’s important for the public to know that people in all health care professions are concerned about substance abuse and have developed effective mechanisms for addressing the problem, says Frank Ascione, associate dean of the University of Michigan College of Pharmacy. For example, the American Pharmaceutical Association‘s code of ethics commits pharmacists to “observe the law, to uphold the dignity and honor of the profession, and to accept its ethical principals” and advises them to “expose, without fear or favor, illegal or unethical conduct in the profession.” Other health professions have similar codes. In the past, such guidelines put health professionals in an ethical bind. If they exposed a substance-abusing colleague, as they were obligated to do, they could be responsible for that person losing his or her license to practice. Similarly, substance-abusing health professionals had no incentive to admit their problem, because they faced only punishment for coming clean.

In Michigan, a program instituted in 1994 takes a more humane approach and makes it easier to identify and treat health professionals with substance abuse problems. Under the Michigan Health Recovery Act, health professionals with drug or alcohol problems are asked to stop practicing while receiving treatment, but can then return to their professions. Only if they refuse treatment?or relapse afterward and refuse further treatment?are they referred to the licensing board.

The Michigan law reflects changes in the way society views substance abuse, says Larry Wagenknecht, president of the Michigan Health Professional Recovery Corporation, which administers the state’s program. “There’s a recognition that a substance abuse problem is not a flaw in a person’s character, but rather a disease,” Wagenknecht says. “The benefit of this program is in letting health professionals know there are options. With that knowledge, we hope they will come forward and get themselves into treatment before something disastrous happens to one of their patients.”

Wagenknecht, who is also CEO of the Michigan Pharmacists Association and a clinical instructor with the U-M College of Pharmacy, will be one of five speakers at the College of Pharmacy’s 21st Annual Spring Seminar, To arrange an interview with Frank Ascione, Larry Wagenknecht or other speakers on the program, contact Nancy Ross-Flanigan at (734) 647-1853 or [email protected].

U-M News and Information Services

University of Michigan

Michigan Pharmacists Association[email protected].U-M News and Information ServicesUniversity of Michigan