[Abuse of psychoactive drugs among health professionals]

Abstract

Health care givers suffer problems of abuse of and addiction to substances at a rate similar to or perhaps higher than that of the general population according to available studies, most of which were done in the United States. Anesthesiologists tend to have the highest incidence of addiction. Among the risk factors identified are self-medication, stress at work and easy access to drugs. After alcohol, opiates and benzodiazepines are the drugs most favored. No data are available for Spain on this problem. One recently opened treatment program exists, implemented by the Department of Health of the autonomous government of Catalonia (Spain) in collaboration with the Official College of Physicians of Barcelona. Although the problem is probably not great in Spain, prevention programs should be put in place to identify and act on known risk factors, by controlling and limiting access to drugs, raising awareness among health-care givers of the risks of self-medication, and improving working conditions. The main obstacle to treating such patients is denial, which makes identification of abusers and their adherence to a program difficult. The therapeutic phases are identification, intervention, treatment, return to work and follow-up. Addicts are chronic patients who require follow-up for many years, given that the risk of relapse is always present.