Drug-test MPs: Doctor

[Tom]

ONE of the state's most influential doctors has rejected calls for widespread drug tests for doctors, saying they should only be introduced if politicians roll their own sleeves up first.

 

Speaking for the first time since he became the president of the South Australian Medical Board, Dr Trevor Mudge said he saw little point in drug testing doctors.

 

"As soon as we have daily drug testing for politicians we should introduce them for doctors, because after all, they make much more important decisions than we do," Dr Mudge, an obstetrician, said. "The evidence from other countries is that widespread testing of doctors is very expensive and essentially not helpful."

 

While it was a reasonable public expectation that doctors abstain from smoking marijuana, it would be impossible to ban it, he said.

 

"Many things are expected of doctors and abstaining from marijuana is only one of them," Dr Mudge said. "How would you enforce it (a ban)? If you are going to have some sort of big brother seeing that doctors don't smoke marijuana, what else are you going to have big brother do?

 

"Are you going to have 24-hour surveillance of doctors' behaviour? What the medical board has to do is promote professionalism and protecting patients and the two go hand in hand."

 

Debate over drug testing of doctors was prominent in the SA Parliament last year. Independent MLC Nick Xenophon said there should be a "zero tolerance" policy for doctors who took drugs, and that he would introduce legislation for random drug testing for all doctors who had contact with patients.

 

Yesterday, Mr Xenophon, yet to introduce his legislation, said the issue should "still be on the agenda". "This is something the medical profession has to come to terms with," he said.

 

The testing debate was fuelled by last year's coronial inquest into the death of Ruth Sorensen, 69, after she was discharged from the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in 2002. Ms Sorensen was treated by Dr Stuart Mauro, who had a 10-cone-a-week cannabis habit and was found by the Coroner to have given "seriously inadequate" treatment to her.

 

Dr Mauro is now suspended.

 

An obstetrician in Adelaide for 30 years, Dr Mudge has also been the president of the SA branch of the Australian Medical Association, and the vice president of the federal AMA. His term as president is three years.

 

Author: LISA ALLISON

Date: 28jan06

Source:Advertiser Newspapers Pty Limited

Copyright: © Advertiser Newspapers Pty Limited

 

[dsyfer]

With the gear doctors would be able to procure, smoking a joint to relax, doesn't really sound that bad to me?

 

I would much rather my doctor smoked a joint after work, than be popping some chemical concoction, or be stressed out of their brain.

[WantDaChronic]

The testing debate was fuelled by last year's coronial inquest into the death of Ruth Sorensen, 69, after she was discharged from the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in 2002. Ms Sorensen was treated by Dr Stuart Mauro, who had a 10-cone-a-week cannabis habit and was found by the Coroner to have given "seriously inadequate" treatment to her.

 

10 cones a week? I dunno about the rest of you, but if i had to spend all day looking at sick people, especially fat moles with rashes and stuff, i'd need more than 2 cones a night to go to sleep ::

 

gotta admit, i'd much prefer a straight doctor than one that is off his skull... but if they are only smoking a few cones, it wouldnt concern me in the least. My last doctor was scary though, if you went in and said you had a problem and a certain medication worked for you in the past, even if there is no history of the problem or use of that drug, he would pescribe it i think the reason behind him doing that was because he was on heaps of pills himself, so much so that he'd fall asleep while you were infront of him

[everest]

"As soon as we have daily drug testing for politicians we should introduce them for doctors, because after all, they make much more important decisions than we do," Dr Mudge, an obstetrician, said.

 

now that's a bloody good idea

 

i got to take a test .... just for digging coal out ::

 

ev :smoke

Edited February 1, 2006 by everest

[Brash]

... in NSW we could do well to start with breath testing pollies, given recent indiscretions.

 

When Lee Rhiannon (Greens upper house) suggested it, there was an outcry form both major parties, interjectors suggested the sniffer dogs should 'do' the greens office first.

Edited February 1, 2006 by Brash

[Pa-uul]

It's not a "reasonable public expectation" for a doctor to abstain from cannabis all the time, even when they're off work. If that's true the public are fuckers. Smoking cannabis shouldn't make a person a second class citizen. Refraining from cannabis during work hours should be sufficient for most people. There must be equal rights for cannabis users!

[Brash]

I don't think I could trust a doctor who doesn't inhale - If I had to be opened up, I would certainly prefer a surgeon who didn't drink but toked instead (steadier hands).

[HighRising]

Just like alcohol, who cares what they do, as long as they are able of mind while at work? It's just recreational discrimination.

 

Just more anti cannabis scaremongering from conservatives with too much time on their hands.