Professional Impairment: A History and One State's Response
Journal of Addictive DiseasesPublished 1 April 2009
David K. Pooler, Frank Sheheen, Jon Davidson
Citations15
SJR quartileQ2
SJR score0.64
SNIP0.70
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TL;DR
The literature on impaired practice of health professionals and prevalence rates of drug and alcohol problems are reviewed and one response that protects the public and helps the professional get better is highlighted.
Abstract
Professionals who provide care to clients may have an impaired practice because of alcohol or drug abuse problems. Health care professionals can harm clients when their practice is impaired. Evidence suggests that doctors, nurses, pharmacists, psychologists, and social workers are vulnerable to substance misuse. A professional with an impaired practice can recover with help. This article reviews the literature on impaired practice of health professionals and highlights prevalence rates of drug and alcohol problems. South Carolina's recovering professional program is one response that protects the public and helps the professional get better.
Keywords
PsychologyHealth Professions
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