Why don't doctors and nurses pee in a cup?

In thinking about this topic further, doctors who are self-employed and don't have privileges at hospitals may not be drug tested. Also, nurses who are employed at a doctors' office or clinics may or may not be subjected to employment drug testing.

Anyone can turn in a doctor or nurse to the medical or nursing board if they suspect that they are abusing drugs, inappropriately prescribing drugs or illegally diverting drugs. The board would then investigate and suspend or revoke their license, or allow them to practice conditionally while attending a mandatory program for substance abuse.

This I've seen happen. I just happen to listen in on a radio conversation about drug abuse by anesthesiologist's being at a high rate. Apparently the authority discussing it found it quite difficult to get drug testing done on them without discrimination. Anyway it's good to hear from others that the medical field goes through many mandatory drug tests like other occupations.

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Well, it makes sense that people who work under extreme stress and adverse conditions, and who also have access to extremely potent narcotics would be more likely to abuse those drugs than someone who does not have access. Unfortunately, doctors, nurses, pharmacists and police officers all have a higher likelihood of substance abuse because of the nature of their jobs. I have known several doctors and nurses who have been mandated to participate in substance abuse programs over the years.

My personal experience is that it is not difficult to get mandatory drug testing done if there is careful documentation of a pattern of suspected abuse, or even one concerning incident.

Contrary to the opinions of most on MFP, most doctors and nurses entered their profession to help people, and work under extreme duress and receive very little appreciation for the sacrifices they make (long hours, holidays, nights, weekends; dealing with body fluids; actually saving people's lives on a regular basis). The hardest thing I've ever had to do is to call someone in the middle of the night and tell them their spouse of 50 years or more has died. I have had to do this multiple times in my career. Imagine an ED or Trauma physician who has to do this multiple times in one shift. It is not easy to tell people that their children are dead. Anesthesiologists have an extremely precise and stressful job, often stand on their feet for 12 or more hours at a time with no food, drink or bathroom breaks, while monitoring patients. They save lives on the table every day. Sometimes they don't and it's horrible when they can't. Extreme duress and not being able to express emotions on the job lead to the need to self-medicate -- with drugs, with food, sometimes with healthy behavior like exercise.

Substance abuse happens in every social strata, in every career, in every age group. Unfortunately, when access to potent narcotics is easy, and stress levels are constantly and abnormally high, substance abuse is more likely.