Drug abuse among resident doctors

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Public Health
• Substance Abuse Research

Background:

• Physician drug abuse is a global concern impacting healthcare quality.
• Understanding substance use patterns among resident doctors is crucial for targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence and patterns of drug abuse among resident doctors in an Indian medical school.
• To identify factors associated with drug abuse in this population.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study involving individual interviews with 240 resident doctors.
• Drug abuse defined as monthly non-prescribed drug use.
• Data collected on drug types, frequency, and reasons for use.

Main Results:

• 30.4% of doctors reported current drug abuse; 14.2% had past use.
• Male doctors (37.1%) exhibited significantly higher abuse rates than females (2.2%).
• Alcohol (17.9%) and minor tranquilizers (17.5%) were most commonly abused; no daily or hard drug use observed.

Conclusions:

• A substantial proportion of resident doctors engage in non-prescribed drug use.
• Gender is a significant factor in drug abuse prevalence among physicians.
• Intervention strategies should address alcohol and minor tranquilizer abuse, considering social and pharmacological motivations.