There are a few substance abuse red flags to keep an eye out for among healthcare professionals who may be abusing drugs. Substance abuse among healthcare professionals is currently a major concern. Studies estimate that more than 100,000 healthcare workers struggle with substance abuse, often times right under the noses of their coworkers. If you are a healthcare worker be on the lookout for these common signs that a coworker might be abusing drugs.
1. Behavioral Changes:
• Changes or shifts in job performance
• Absences from the unit for extended periods of time
• Frequent trips to the bathroom
• Arriving late or leaving early from work
• Makig excessive number of mistakes, including medication errors.
2. Physical Changes
• Changes in appearance that may get worse or more drastic (often more sloppy or unkept than usual)
• Increased isolation from coworkers
• Inappropriate verbal or emotional responses to events
• Diminished alertness, confusions or memory lapses
3. Medication Discrepencies
• Incorrect narcotic counts
• Large amount of medication waste
• Lots of corrections of medication records
• Frequent reports of ineffective pain relief from patients (possibly from medications being stolen and replaced with saline)
• Offers to medicate coworkers’ patients for pain
• Altered verbal or phone medication orders
• Variation in controlled substance discrepancies among shifts or days of the week
Healthcare professionals are particularly vulnerable to drug abuse because of their high-stress environment, their access to prescription drugs and their knowledge of them. It’s important to keep an eye out for these any signs of substance abuse red flags among healthcare coworkers. Any number of these could indicate a problem and warrant good reason to discuss it further with the individual or discuss the unusual behavior with another coworker or supervisor.
It might be uncomfortable to take such action, but the sooner the problem is addressed the better your coworker can be helped and the safer everyone will be. If you have any other questions or concerns, contact an addiction specialist for more information or help.
