Occupational Medicine & Health Affairs
Open Access

Abstract

Drug diversion by healthcare professionals has been a long standing but little known challenge in clinical practice. The implications from an individual, professional, organizational and systems perspective are devastating. While organizations struggle with the cost of surveillance and monitoring of controlled substances, programs to support the individual as both a patient and professional often fail. As a result, the problem manifests in unresolved torment for the individual, loss of an experienced health professional, ongoing organizational costs and barriers to achieving optimal patient care and downstream system effects of an unemployed addict. What are yet to be explored are the psychological underpinnings of why some health professionals pilfer personal use narcotics, diverting them from either the prescribed patient or during disposal processes. What are the psychological challenges faced by health professionals who chose to divert controlled substances? Can mitigating factors such as pre-licensure education, professional introspection and reflection combined with easy access to supportive services reduce the impact of drug diversion at both a macro and micro level? A root cause analysis (RCA) will be offered with a focus on the psychological traits and behaviors of health professionals with impulse to divert controlled substances. A systematic review of the literature will accompany the RCA in support of these research questions.

Biography

Email: brigette.quinn@viu.ca