Doctor's addiction prompts call for drug tests

[Tom]

THE South Australian Government is considering the nation's first mandatory drug-testing regime for its 6500 doctors, after it discovered last month that the state medical board took no action against a mentally ill doctor with a 10-cone-a-day cannabis habit.

 

Health Minister Lea Stevens said the state's chief medical officer would consider the proposal after a coronial inquest found last month that the drug-addicted doctor provided "seriously inadequate care" to a patient who later died.

 

Coroner Wayne Chivell also strongly criticised the South Australian Medical Board's management of the case.

 

The health department review by Chris Baggoley would examine how drug-addicted health professionals were managed, Ms Stevens said.

 

"It will be about what's appropriate, what is not appropriate, what's safe ... what boards and other commissions need to have as their guiding principles, whatever, in terms of the safety of the public," she said. No reporting date has been set.

 

Australian Medical Association state president Christopher Cain said doctors had nothing to fear from random or mandatory drug-testing in the hospital system.

 

But he cautioned that any drug tests needed to prove conclusively that a positive result impaired a doctor's ability to practise.

 

While such a test was unavailable for cannabis use, cocaine "was a different beast" and a positive urine test should result in action being taken.

 

The government review into how drug-addicted doctors are managed was triggered by the case of Stuart Mauro.

 

The coroner found no evidence that Dr Mauro's drug addiction and mental illness were responsible for the death of Ruth Sorenson in June 2002. The 69-year-old collapsed and died at home 24 hours after Dr Mauro had misdiagnosed her bowel obstruction and discharged her from the emergency department of a public hospital.

 

But Mr Chivell also found the medical board took no action over complaints about Dr Mauro's behaviour before Sorenson's death. This was despite reports from three eminent psychiatrists outlining his valium and cannabis drug habit and mental illness.

 

Dr Mauro, sacked from the hospital for stealing valium, continued to practise in South Australia until early this year. The medical board did not deregister him until three years after Sorenson's death, and weeks after the critical inquest findings were handed down.

 

Medical board registrar Joe Hooper told a parliamentary inquiry this week he needed to "tighten up" the monitoring process of an estimated 45 to 50 "impaired practitioners". One fifth of those were estimated to have addiction problems.

 

He said the board now took a harder line with drug-addicted doctors.

 

But Mr Hooper said he did not have a view on mandatory testing, saying it would be too "burdensome" for the board to oversee.

 

Author:Michelle Wiese Bockmann

Date:July 23, 2005

Source:www.theaustralian.news.com.au

Copyright:© The Australian

But he cautioned that any drug tests needed to prove conclusively that a positive result impaired a doctor's ability to practise.

 

While such a test was unavailable for cannabis use, cocaine "was a different beast" and a positive urine test should result in action being taken.

Sounds like the medical board believe that mj isn't really that much of a problem.

 

[Gush]

What about alcohol abuse?....I think if the board had a good look they would find a lot of Doctors with SA problems.....I guess its hard to stay happy when your dealing with sickness all day.