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Physician substance use by medical specialty
P H Hughes1, C L Storr, N A Brandenburg
1Institute for Research in Psychiatry, University of South Florida, Tampa, USA.
Journal of Addictive Diseases
|May 20, 1999
Summary
Physician substance use varies by specialty. Emergency medicine physicians reported higher illicit drug use, while psychiatrists reported more benzodiazepine use. Prevention programs should target specialty-specific substance abuse patterns.
Area of Science:
- Medical research
- Public health
- Addiction medicine
Background:
- Physician substance use is a significant concern.
- Understanding specialty-specific patterns is crucial for targeted interventions.
- Previous research has not comprehensively compared substance use across multiple medical specialties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To estimate and compare self-reported past-year and lifetime substance use (alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, cocaine, opiates, benzodiazepines) among physicians in 12 specialties.
- To identify specific substances and patterns of abuse or dependence associated with different medical specialties.
- To inform the development of specialty-tailored prevention and intervention programs for substance use disorders among physicians.
Main Methods:
- Anonymous mailed survey of 5,426 physicians across 12 medical specialties.
- Data collected on self-reported past-year use of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, cocaine, and controlled prescription drugs (opiates, benzodiazepines).
- Logistic regression models were used to control for demographic and other characteristics influencing specialty differences in substance use and abuse/dependence.
Main Results:
- Emergency medicine physicians reported higher illicit drug use.
- Psychiatrists showed increased benzodiazepine use.
- Pediatricians and surgeons generally reported low substance use, with surgeons showing higher tobacco use.
- Anesthesiologists had higher reported use of major opiates.
- Highest rates of self-reported substance abuse and dependence were found among psychiatrists and emergency physicians; lowest rates were among surgeons.
Conclusions:
- Significant variations in substance use patterns exist among different medical specialties.
- Emergency medicine and psychiatry appear to be specialties with higher risks for substance abuse and dependence.
- Findings support the need for developing and implementing specialty-specific prevention programs to address unique physician substance use risks.