Resident physician substance use in the United States.

A national survey was conducted to determine patterns of drug use among 3000 American resident physicians. Sixty percent (1785) of the residents surveyed responded. This report evaluates the prevalence of drug use among the respondents, when they initiated drug use, and their reasons for current use. Substance use rates are compared with other studies of resident physicians and with a sample of their nonphysician age peers surveyed the same year. Heavy substance use patterns were not observed among resident physicians. They had significantly lower rates of use for most psychoactive substances than their peers in the general population but did report higher rates of past-month use of alcohol and benzodiazepines. A sizable minority began using benzodiazepines and prescription opiates during their residency years-the stage in physicians' training when they first receive prescribing privileges. Current users of benzodiazepines and opiates used these drugs primarily for self-treatment rather than recreation. These two substances are often associated with impairment at later stages in the physician's career.

Substance use among senior medical students. A survey of 23 medical schools.

Senior students at 23 regionally distributed medical schools received an anonymous questionnaire designed to examine current and prior use of tobacco, alcohol, and nine other drugs. The overall response rate was 67% (N = 2046). Substance use prevalence rates during the 30 days preceding the survey included alcohol, 87.5%; marijuana, 10.0%; cigarettes, 10.0%; cocaine, 2.8%; tranquilizers, 2.3%; opiates other than heroin, 1.1%; psychedelics other than LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide), 0.6%; amphetamines, 0.3%; barbiturates, 0.2%; LSD, 0.1%; and heroin, 0.0%. Compared with national, age-related comparison groups, senior medical students reported less use of all substances during the past 30 days and the past 12 months, except for alcohol, tranquilizers, and psychedelics other than LSD. Substantial new drug use after entry into medical school was reported only for tranquilizers. Seven students (0.2%) admitted to current dependence on a substance other than tobacco, four of these implicating marijuana. Thirty-three students (1.6%) believed that they currently needed help for substance abuse. Only 25.7% were aware of any policy on substance abuse at their own school.

Substance use and the resident physician: a national study.

A national study of substance use and abuse among resident physicians indicates that except for tranquilizers and barbiturates most illicit use of drugs began prior to medical school and residency. Relatively few residents were aware of substance abuse policies or educational programs in their institutions.