Substance abuse by anesthesiology residents

A 1989 cross-sectional substance abuse survey of 260 former anesthesiology residents of the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) during the previous 30 years yielded 183 responses (70.3%). Over three-fourths (77.2%) of those who responded reported that they had used alcohol when they were residents; 20.0% had used marijuana; and 15.7% had used cocaine. Forty-three of the 178 respondents had used unprescribed psychoactive drugs. Twenty-nine (15.8%) had been self-admitted problematic substance abusers during their residencies: 23, alcohol dependent and six, drug dependent; among the latter were four with a dual (alcohol and drug) dependency. More than 85% considered the drug policy information available during their residencies had been inadequate; institutional drug-control policies were rated "fair-to-poor" by more than 70%. Thirty-five of the residents had observed their teachers using alcohol and/or other drugs to the detriment of their teaching; approximately one-third of these infractions had gone unreported.