OCR Text |
Show DAILY A10 HERALD Wednesday. December 19. 2007 Confidential programs let addicted doctors work while in rehab Marcus Wohlsen program allowing doctors to get help without telling their patients. A review concluded the state-ru- n Thousands SAN FRANCISCO program failed to protect patients or help addicted doctors get better. of doctors hooked on drugs and alBut the medical community fiercely cohol continue to practice medicine defends confidential treatment, saywhile receiving treatment for substance abuse, yet most patients will ing it keeps patients safer. The emotional debate has revealed never know about their physicians' bitter differences over how much addictions. This is because of confidential patients have a right to know, and touches on the unease many Ameri"physician health programs" in nearly every state that allow doctors cans feel about defining addiction as to keep diagnosing, prescribing and a medical instead of a moral problem. "Patients have no way to protect performing surgery as long as they themselves from these doctors," said stick with an approved rehab regiJulie Fellmeth, who heads the Univermen. sity of San Diego's Center for Public Despite some unsettling cases, Interest Law and led the opposition these arrangements have largely to California's diversion escaped public scrutiny until this summer, when California's medical program. board outraged physicians across the Nationwide, more than 5,000 physicians are enrolled in physician country by abolishing its THt ASSOCIATED PRESS health programs, according to the results of an upcoming study obtained by The Associated Press. But that number is likely much higher, since not all states with programs participated in the survey, said Dr. Greg Skipper, head of Alabama's physician health program and a principal investigator on the not-ypublished Robert Wood Johnson Foundation study. Skipper says between 7,500 and 8,000 doctors are likely in treatment about one percent of all physicians practicing in the U.S. Most addiction specialists favor allowing doctors to continue practic- ing while in confidential treatment, as does the American Medical Aset sociation. Supporters of such programs say that cases in which patients harmed by doctors in treatment are are ' extremely rare, and would pale next to the havoc that could result if physicians had no such option. "If you don't have confidential participation, you dont get people into the program," said Sandra Bressler, the California Medical Association's senior director for medical board affairs. "And if they're out there, you're not going to know about them anyway." California's program ends June 30. If no alternative program is adopted, the rules could revert back to the e policy in place before 1980, when doctors who were found by the medical board to have drug or alcohol problems were immediately stripped of their licenses. No other state has followed California's lead. But the president of California's medical board, Dr. Richard Fantozzi, said that behind the scenes, regulators nationwide share his ambivalence toward such programs. "To hide something from consumers, something so blatant ... it's unconscionable today," Fantozzi said. Between 10 percent and 15 percent of physicians nationwide will have a substance abuse problem at some point in their lives, a rate similar to that of the general population, according to widespread estimates. Opponents of such programs are unable to cite any documented cases in which doctors who were confidentially undergoing treatment botched operations while drunk or high. But they say the very secrecy of the programs makes it hard to assess the risks. Nevertheless, some doctors have ' been accused of harming patients while they were in treatment. Give Her Luxury! $79 Prive fine, 2-p- ly Beautifully warm cashmere: Hand washable XS-X- L .... n' .rift ": if m' 'A ' "..-: Jp I '.VV'i ' (;. it ".. . , i i shawl collar 1 palopink i ivory cream DiHaitTs The Style of Christmas. A PURCHASE WU NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES Of WINNING NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. 2.00AM ET en rMNlvm 18 or okto to emw MmI ortwr prohWd SwwwWi boww Daiawara corporatmn (GE Monay'l. divioon of Ganaca' Elactnc Capital Corporation. DtlwT aubtecr to Otfcwl RuM poMd m cWlvdc cwn od 'Mulw VourwtT SMwepstsM prtci(wt)na Moras, and tvwlablr 0 mln0 SASE at llSPM ET on liJUU. Pnzaa: (1) Grand Pmm: $M.wT 150) Fm PruaK$100. l6T Second Prua. SoOO DiHard't 6nopm9 Sprat. m: DiUartTi 'Indulg YoursT Ruin. PMI StstKin. PO Boa 760. Southbury. of abojoia antnaa racaivad Sponaor wmrmg datafminad by numb 0rt 12l7 and and ' 06488 0760 Mum bt ImwI US G Morwy - Amancaa Sporuor and Sunday 10-- 9 at all Dillard's locations. Shop Monday-Frida- y Saturday 8-In at Provo Towne Centre. Salt Lake City at Fashion Place and South Towne Center. In Ogden, at Newgate Mall. In Logan, at Cache Valley Mall. We welcome your Dillard's Credit Card, The American Express Card, Diners Club International, Mastercard, Vfsa and The Discover Card. 9-1- 0, 10 . In Provo, CT i ' i4 |