General Medicine

In part one of this three-part article, our panelists discuss the prevalence of drug and alcohol abuse among medical professionals and its probable causes.

In the second part of their discussion, our panelists address the challenges in detecting an impaired colleague, intervention, and whether drug and alcohol testing should be mandatory for physicians.

In the last section of a three-part article, our panelists discuss physician recovery and possible relapse, as well as a patient's right to know about their physician's substance abuse problem.

Although cannabis is still listed as an illegal narcotic under federal law, 16 states and the District of Columbia have statutes decriminalizing the drug when used as a therapy for specific ailments. One of the main points of contention with respect to medical marijuana is whether it is safe and efficacious.

Virginia Tech Carilion, the nation's newest medical school, is using a novel interview process for selecting new students. Applicants encounter a series of scenarios in which they must interact with their "interviewers" in a variety of different contexts, which require them to grapple with ethical conundrums, think on their feet, and demonstrate their ability to work as part of a team.

Some supporters of medical marijuana argue that it seems absurd to allow clinicians to prescribe narcotics like morphine, will blocking their ability to prescribe marijuana. Opponents of medical marijuana point that unlike morphine, marijuana does not have the clinical data to support its use.

Richard Armstrong, MD, is the chief operating officer of Docs4PatientCare, a nonprofit organization dedicated to fighting ObamaCare. MD P&P talks with Armstrong about his organization, which believes that mainstream medical organizations are not representing their best interests.