Drug testing as a condition of employment in a wide variety of fields has been around for many decades. Truck drivers to teachers have had to demonstrate that they are drug-free.
Yet this requirement has been largely overlooked in healthcare, an area in which no effort should be spared to safeguard patient safety. Not only are healthcare professionals entrusted with the health of our citizenry, but most of them have ready access to numerous addictive drugs. By neglecting to check healthcare employees for substance abuse, managers leave the door open to theft and the possibility of patient injury and death.
News stories in many American cities have brought to light instances of substance abuse by medical professionals at all levels. In numerous cases these individuals go undetected for years. Ignorance on the part of supervisors frequently ends up costing a facility thousands or millions of dollars in lawsuits.
A consistent industrywide policy of testing prospective employees for drugs would not only help ensure the safety of patients and the quality of their care but also help hospitals, doctors and insurance companies control costs by avoiding lawsuits.
Betty Peebles
President
Team Placement Service
healthcare staffing firm
Falls Church, Va.