The health of each individual is critical to the well-being of an entire community, and people in the healthcare industry know it. When a person needs medical attention, healthcare professionals play a vital role in making sure that the patient is cared for safely and professionally.
As far as patient care is concerned, it is the responsibility and obligation of each healthcare worker to perform their jobs ethically and avoid malpractice. The healthcare industry should be responsible for monitoring their workers to make sure that they are performing their jobs according to established standards.
Obviously, if a healthcare worker performs their duties under the influence of drugs or alcohol, the patient’s health or worse, life could be compromised.
Today, there is a collective desire from concerned individuals and organizations urging the healthcare industry to create policies to require its workers to undergo universal drug testing. This will not only keep healthcare workers, which include doctors and nurses, sober at work. It will also strengthen people’s trust in the industry in general. Any patient-centered healthcare facility can do that with the assistance of a reputable corporate drug testing provider.
To help you appreciate the importance of drug testing for medical professionals consider some facts and figures:
- The rate of drug addiction and alcoholism in the healthcare industry over the years is alarmingly high. In fact, the industry’s record for drug and alcohol abuse is one of the highest in the U.S.
- History has shown that nurses and doctors are susceptible to drug addiction. They are usually described as highly functional addicts because of their ability to continue performing their jobs without anyone noticing their problem.
- A 2014 report from USA Today stated that there are over 100,000 drug dependent doctors and nurses in the United States. They can certainly put the lives of many patients at risk.
- Results of various studies suggest that one out of ten healthcare workers is dependent on drugs. Figures are continuously increasing but only a few are accounted for.
- The American Addiction Centers reports that the addiction of doctors and nurses stems from their ability to self-medicate coupled with their privilege to get easy access to restricted drugs.
- Generally, doctors become addicted to prescription drugs not because they want to experience recreational thrills. They became hooked because of their desire to beat the physical, mental and emotional fatigue and stress in the workplace.
- The commonly abused drugs in the healthcare industry include:
- Demerol
- Ativan
- Morphine
- Vicodin
- Diprovan
- Fentanyl
- Xanax
- Dilaudid
- Percocet
- OxyContin
Medical professionals perform life-or-death medical procedures and make crucial decisions which can affect a person’s life forever. As managers of healthcare businesses, drug testing requirements for medical personnel should be considered.
The best way to ensure the safety and well-being of paying health care customers is to make sure that your medical professionals are sober and clean. Make it possible with the help of competent corporate drug testing professionals in your area.
It’s Time to Work with a Drug Screening Provider
The increasing number of medical professionals who are on illegal drugs is a serious cause for concern. The clamor for universal drug testing among medical employees is getting louder.
Make it real in your establishment by working with a reliable corporate drug screening provider. This will ensure the confidentiality and quality of the test results.
Give us a call at (321) 725-0009 or (321) 586-1503 or (888) 222-7011 for your requests or inquiries.
