Appropriate management of chemical dependency in emergency medicine residents

When chemical dependency is suspected in an emergency medicine resident physician, prompt and appropriate action must be taken to ensure the best possible outcome for all involved. Although residency program accreditation requires that program directors be able to appropriately deal with a chemically dependent resident, few programs have a formal policy in place, and little if any information exists for the formulation of such a policy. Presented here is a discussion of the disease of chemical dependency and how it affects emergency medicine residents, along with practical recommendations for appropriate management.