Alcoholic Doctors: Signs & Treatment

Warning Signs of Alcoholism in Medical Professionals  

According to a 5-year longitudinal cohort study of 904 physicians – 87% of whom were male – alcohol was the primary drug of abuse in 50.3% of physicians, followed by opioids in 35.9%, stimulants in 7.9%, and other substances in 5.9%. Additionally, 50% of participants reported abuse of multiple substances, and 13.9% had a history of intravenous drug use.1  

Physicians in different specialties tend to abuse different classes of drugs. For example, while alcohol is the most commonly abused drug by medical professionals, only about 10% of anesthesiologists receive outpatient or inpatient addiction treatment for alcoholism.1 Furthermore, certain specialties are more prone to substance abuse, such as healthcare professionals in anesthesiology, emergency medicine, and psychiatry.  

Factors like the stress of their job and proximity to substances of abuse may contribute to both prescription drug and alcohol addiction in healthcare providers. However, while doctors have access to a variety of prescription drugs, alcohol is the most commonly abused substance among this group, making recognition of the signs of abuse important for diagnosis and treatment.  

Common signs of alcohol abuse in healthcare professionals include:  

• The smell of alcohol on their breath or clothes 
• Poor hygiene (showing up to work looking disheveled) 
• Slurred speech 
• Poor coordination or movement 
• Hidden bottles of alcohol on their person, in their office or workspace, or in their car 
• Decreased performance at work 
• Failure to remember events, conversations, or commitments  
• Tardiness 
• Frequent hangovers 
• Irritability 
• Mood swings 
• Poor early morning performance 
• Irritability at certain times or on certain days, such as the beginning of the week or early in the mornings  
• Out-of-control or abnormal behavior at social events or work events 
• Trouble with law enforcement (i.e., domestic abuse, drunk driving) 
• Unexplained absences  
• Unusual injuries  
• Isolation from coworkers 
• Poor relationships with coworkers 
• Frequently leaving the workplace early  

Various steps must be taken to appropriately address substance abuse in healthcare professionals. If you suspect that a colleague or team member is abusing drugs or alcohol, the first step is to review your work policies. Then you can notify the appropriate point of contact, after which an investigation may take place.  

Depending on the results of the investigation and the person’s performance at work up to that point, they may be given a leave of absence to undergo medically assisted detox and addiction care and then either be terminated or allowed to return to work after they’re considered to be stable.