Originally published July 26 2005
Tennessee medical practitioners are more likely to be addicted to prescription drugs than the average individual
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Despite the fact that medical practitioners' rates for drug and alcohol abuse are parallel to the rest of the population, Tennessee health officials say their state's medical professionals are 1.5 times more likely to be addicted to prescription painkillers, but also have the highest recovery rates.
Disciplinary documents link Klarich's actions to painkiller and alcohol abuse, a problem with which more than 1,000 of Tennessee's 10,455 licensed doctors are struggling, experts estimate.
State health officials say such extreme cases of negligence as Klarich's are rare and note that the overall rate of alcohol and drug abuse among doctors is about equal to the general population --- between 8% and 12%.
Yet health officials say that prescription painkiller addiction is about 1.5 times higher among physicians than the public.
"Unlike a clerk at a grocery store who might get drunk and stock the groceries the wrong way, the health threat of having a doctor impaired is much more severe because people's lives are at stake," said Dr. Sidney Wolfe, director of Public Citizen's health research group, a national nonprofit public advocacy organization.
"It costs $3 million to train a neurosurgeon, so it makes sense to rehabilitate these people," Earley said.
He also said Tennessee doctors are fortunate that the state has one of the best drug and alcohol intervention programs in the country --- the Tennessee Medical Foundation's Physicians Health Program.
"If I find there's a problem, I'll meet with them and recommend they get treatment," said Gray, who often refers physicians to Ridgeview or the Center for Professional Excellence in Nashville, a treatment facility for professionals who are addicted to alcohol or drugs.
The patient who reported smelling alcohol on Klarich's breath during her surgery also said the doctor's hands were shaking badly.
Although the procedure went smoothly, Klarich called the patient at home and said she had not performed the surgery correctly and that additional work would be needed.
She told the patient she would write prescriptions for hydrocodone and diazepam, a mild tranquilizer.
All content posted on this site is commentary or opinion and is protected under Free Speech. Truth Publishing LLC takes sole responsibility for all content. Truth Publishing sells no hard products and earns no money from the recommendation of products. NaturalNews.com is presented for educational and commentary purposes only and should not be construed as professional advice from any licensed practitioner. Truth Publishing assumes no responsibility for the use or misuse of this material. For the full terms of usage of this material, visit www.NaturalNews.com/terms.shtml