Journal
SUBSTANCE USE & MISUSE
Volume 55, Issue 12, Pages 2035-2042Publisher
TAYLOR & FRANCIS INC
DOI: 10.1080/10826084.2020.1788090
Keywords
Licensure discipline; substance use disorder; healthcare professionals; nursing regulation; sanctions
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Background Substance Use Disorder (SUD) is a significant public health concern in the United States and healthcare providers are not immune to this disease. The potential for patient harm presented by an impaired provider is the reason SUD in licensed healthcare professionals is a regulatory issue.Aim: This research study seeks to identify the differences in the disciplinary action taken among pharmacists, physicians, and nurses (LPN & RN) in 24 states.Methods:A retrospective secondary data analysis was performed using the public use data file of the National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB). Inclusion data were grouped and recoded to analyze using Chi-square to compare differences between groups.Results:Nurses are revoked and fined at much higher rates than medicine. Nurses and pharmacists are placed on probation at higher rates than medicine, and medicine was censured more than their nursing and pharmacy colleagues.Conclusions:Licensed healthcare professionals are punished differently for similar SUD-related offenses. Further research should explore these differences to identify evidenced based ways to protect the public while assisting this special at-risk population to recover from SUD.
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