Pharmacists recovering from alcohol and other drug addictions: an interview study

An interview study of 86 pharmacists recovering from alcohol or other drug addiction was conducted to describe their experiences during development of and recovery from the addiction. Patterned after similar studies of other recovering health-care professionals, the study permitted comparisons with these other groups. Many felt inadequately prepared to recognize or deal with warning signs of problems of addiction in themselves or others. Forty-four had been arrested; 45 had experienced unemployment because of drinking or other drug use; 16 lost their licenses. Eighteen reported suicide attempts, 13 by drug overdose. Most reported experiences that are regarded as late-stage events, although 50 had never been subject to board action because of their drinking and other drug use. The use of chemicals interfered with the pharmacists' lives long before they were consciously worried about it. For 18, recovery occurred through the assistance of mutual-help groups alone; others had a variety of treatment experiences. Fewer pharmacists reported addiction to only alcohol than did other health-care professionals. Very few reported addiction to parenteral drugs, a significant deviation from the other groups studied. Pharmacists differed from other groups also in that they were extra scrupulous in reporting acts of dishonesty associated with their addiction, which may make their behavior appear worse than that of the other groups when the opposite may be the case. The profession must begin to answer questions about how recovering pharmacists should be treated, and what the role of professional groups in their recovery is.