ubc_earnestw Posted March 26, 2014 Report Share Posted March 26, 2014 Hi everyone, I've heard rumours that residents are drug tested - is this true? I've definitely done my share of party drugs in medical school so not sure if this is something to be worried about. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rogerroger Posted March 26, 2014 Report Share Posted March 26, 2014 Hi everyone, I've heard rumours that residents are drug tested - is this true? I've definitely done my share of party drugs in medical school so not sure if this is something to be worried about. Thanks. For yourself - don't do drugs. There is no testing that I am aware of. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NLengr Posted March 27, 2014 Report Share Posted March 27, 2014 I am unaware of any province in Canada which requires this. The US is a different animal due to the political climate. They may have testing requirements. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmorelan Posted March 27, 2014 Report Share Posted March 27, 2014 Nor I - quite the invasion of privacy if anyone is considering it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shady Posted March 27, 2014 Report Share Posted March 27, 2014 Nor I - quite the invasion of privacy if anyone is considering it. Agreed. Should not be allowed to happen imo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmatt1122 Posted March 27, 2014 Report Share Posted March 27, 2014 Not a med student but did some quick research and it seems that drug screening residents in the US is somewhat standard (including for cannabinoids and some even nicotine). Something to keep in mind, I guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ellorie Posted March 27, 2014 Report Share Posted March 27, 2014 On the other hand, substance abuse in medicine is a big problem for the physicians AND the patients. I was drug tested to work as a volunteer in a hospital when I was younger, where I had no responsibility for patient care. I would have no objection to being tested now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shady Posted March 27, 2014 Report Share Posted March 27, 2014 On the other hand, substance abuse in medicine is a big problem for the physicians AND the patients. I was drug tested to work as a volunteer in a hospital when I was younger, where I had no responsibility for patient care. I would have no objection to being tested now. No offense ellorie, but I would never volunteer for such an organization. There is no shortage of institutions looking for volunteers that don't treat their applicants like suspected criminals Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ellorie Posted March 27, 2014 Report Share Posted March 27, 2014 It was a major hospital in a large city in the US. As was said above, it's basically standard practice for many hospital positions in the US, paid and volunteer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
burrb Posted March 27, 2014 Report Share Posted March 27, 2014 Why so against drug testing? I don't think it's a bad idea. If you have nothing to hide, then you shouldn't be worrying about drug testing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Birdy Posted March 27, 2014 Report Share Posted March 27, 2014 Drug testing is very common for people working in the oil fields, as they are dangerous jobs. It would not surprise me to see it become, if not standard, at least somewhat common in Canada. It was a major hospital in a large city in the US. As was said above, it's basically standard practice for many hospital positions in the US, paid and volunteer. It's standard practice in a lot of jobs in the US. I know people who have been drug tested to work in grocery stores. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A-Stark Posted March 27, 2014 Report Share Posted March 27, 2014 Why so against drug testing? I don't think it's a bad idea. If you have nothing to hide, then you shouldn't be worrying about drug testing. Why not just let them download the contents of your hard drive and review your phone/texting records? After all, we shouldn't be concerned about privacy if we have "nothing to hide". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
burrb Posted March 27, 2014 Report Share Posted March 27, 2014 Why not just let them download the contents of your hard drive and review your phone/texting records? After all, we shouldn't be concerned about privacy if we have "nothing to hide". Knowledge of the contents of my hard drive and my phone/texting records does not directly affect patient care whatsoever. Knowledge that I abuse cocaine/alcohol will. I'm not saying a drug test is the best way to identify drug use/addictions. I'm just not sure why everyone is freaking out if drug testing was implemented as part of pre-residency "paperwork." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MD92 Posted March 27, 2014 Report Share Posted March 27, 2014 Knowledge of the contents of my hard drive and my phone/texting records does not directly affect patient care whatsoever. Knowledge that I abuse cocaine/alcohol will. I'm not saying a drug test is the best way to identify drug use/addictions. I'm just not sure why everyone is freaking out if drug testing was implemented as part of pre-residency "paperwork." because we want to party Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A-Stark Posted March 27, 2014 Report Share Posted March 27, 2014 Knowledge of the contents of my hard drive and my phone/texting records does not directly affect patient care whatsoever. Knowledge that I abuse cocaine/alcohol will. I'm not saying a drug test is the best way to identify drug use/addictions. I'm just not sure why everyone is freaking out if drug testing was implemented as part of pre-residency "paperwork." We are subjected to adequate scrutiny as it is. There is no justification for indiscriminate blood testing for "substances". Don't make me defend this; explain why we should submit to such arbitrary testing. How does it determine "abuse" anyhow? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jochi1543 Posted March 27, 2014 Report Share Posted March 27, 2014 I think what it boils down to is that if your performance is not obviously impaired or there are some clear signs of addiction (drugs missing from the OR after your cases, alcohol on your breath, etc), does it really matter? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ellorie Posted March 27, 2014 Report Share Posted March 27, 2014 I wonder how good we are at detecting which physicians are impaired. I don't know the answer to that question - but from talking to colleagues as well as practicing physicians, it seems like people are falling through the cracks and practicing impaired for quite some time without getting the support they need. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
questforstarfish Posted March 27, 2014 Report Share Posted March 27, 2014 In Canada it's illegal for employers and schools to do random drug tests (they have to warn you ahead of time or put it in an employment contract when you get a job) because, in theory, whatever drug you did on the weekend does NOT necessarily affect your job performance today. The exception in the law, if I'm remembering it correctly, is that they can do random tests for alcohol if you operate heavy machinery. Here's a link to some of the basics of drug testing in Canada, I'm sorry but I can't find the government document I read last year about the laws surrounding it! http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/workplace-random-alcohol-tests-rejected-by-top-court-1.1340382 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D-Rock Posted March 27, 2014 Report Share Posted March 27, 2014 If they're going to tell me that I can't work a certain number of hours just because a bunch of other people can't handle it, and measure the number of hours I work in order to prevent me from doing otherwise, then they should also be able to measure drug levels in people who say they can function perfectly well while high even though others can't. On the other hand, people are too quick to give up their freedom these days, so one should fight things like this, even if one has nothing to hide. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shady Posted March 27, 2014 Report Share Posted March 27, 2014 In Canada it's illegal for employers and schools to do random drug tests (they have to warn you ahead of time or put it in an employment contract when you get a job) because, in theory, whatever drug you did on the weekend does NOT necessarily affect your job performance today. The exception in the law, if I'm remembering it correctly, is that they can do random tests for alcohol if you operate heavy machinery. Here's a link to some of the basics of drug testing in Canada, I'm sorry but I can't find the government document I read last year about the laws surrounding it! http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/workplace-random-alcohol-tests-rejected-by-top-court-1.1340382 TIL. That is actually a very reasonable law. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jochi1543 Posted March 28, 2014 Report Share Posted March 28, 2014 I wonder how good we are at detecting which physicians are impaired. I don't know the answer to that question - but from talking to colleagues as well as practicing physicians, it seems like people are falling through the cracks and practicing impaired for quite some time without getting the support they need. I suspect it has more to do with discomfort about broaching this topic with colleagues, or even more so, superiors/older physicians. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
epicfail Posted March 29, 2014 Report Share Posted March 29, 2014 In Canada it's illegal for employers and schools to do random drug tests (they have to warn you ahead of time or put it in an employment contract when you get a job) because, in theory, whatever drug you did on the weekend does NOT necessarily affect your job performance today. The exception in the law, if I'm remembering it correctly, is that they can do random tests for alcohol if you operate heavy machinery. Here's a link to some of the basics of drug testing in Canada, I'm sorry but I can't find the government document I read last year about the laws surrounding it! http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/workplace-random-alcohol-tests-rejected-by-top-court-1.1340382 I think what doctors do can be compared to operating heavy machinery. Is a physician under the influence covering a ward/operating at a table any safer than a worker under the influence operating heavy machinery? Besides the obvious danger, I think substance abuse in a physician speaks negatively of his/her character. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ellorie Posted March 29, 2014 Report Share Posted March 29, 2014 Now that, I wouldn't agree with. Substance abuse is often a sign of an illness that needs treatment, not a character flaw. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NLengr Posted March 29, 2014 Report Share Posted March 29, 2014 Besides the obvious danger, I think substance abuse in a physician speaks negatively of his/her character. As long as it doesn't impact performance and they aren't impaired at work, I don't care. People are free to make their own choices. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Let'sGo1990 Posted March 29, 2014 Report Share Posted March 29, 2014 As long as it doesn't impact performance and they aren't impaired at work, I don't care. People are free to make their own choices. +1. And that's the way that it should be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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