Primum Non Nocere: A More Proactive Workplace Drug Testing Regime for Australian Medical Practitioners?

This article considers whether Australian medical practitioners should be subject to a more proactive workplace drug testing regime in order to minimise the risk of harm to patients. It first canvasses the history of workplace drug testing in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia, before exploring whether there is a need for more proactive drug testing of Australian medical practitioners. It then considers whether workplace drug testing adequately addresses drug-related risks to patient safety, and discusses some of the privacy issues associated with workplace drug testing regimes. The article concludes that although an argument can be advanced in favour of a more proactive workplace drug testing regime for all Australian medical practitioners, the implementation of such a regime would be costly and complicated. As a result, it should only apply to practitioners assessed as working in “high-risk” roles.