Medical professionals not immune to addiction

Kristen Diane Parker was apparently willing to do almost anything to get her hands on fentanyl, a potent painkiller used in surgery.

Addiction experts say her story, while extreme, is not the only one of addiction in the medical profession. Throughout  the U.S., doctors, nurses and other health care workers have put patients at risk and ruined careers over addictions to fentanyl and other drugs.

Although there might be a presumption that health care professionals know more than to dabble with drugs, rates of addiction are roughly equal to the rest of the population, experts say. And in some ways, medical workers may find themselves in settings that make addictions easier to feed and harder to notice. Some drugs popular among doctors are seldom seen on the streets.

Fentanyl, in particular, is a drug of choice among anesthesiologists and others in the operating room. It is an especially potent opiate, and addiction comes swiftly. Doctors have been caught stealing the narcotic after observant staff members noticed that some patients were in a lot of pain even though they were supposed to be on strong medication, said Dr. Marvin Seppala, a psychiatrist and addiction specialist. He is the chief medical officer for the Minnesota-based Hazelden Foundation, one of the country's oldest treatment centers.

Some of the drugs have low thresholds for error, leading to overdoses and deaths.

"We find anesthesiologists dead in call rooms annually," he said. Call rooms are places for doctors to sleep while on call in hospitals.

Dr. Jason Giles, a California anesthesiologist, tried fentanyl as a resident, partly out of curiosity. He soon found it to be his escape from the pressures and insecurities he felt as a new physician. "If there's such a thing as the crack of opiates, that's it. There's nothing more intense or addicting than that," he said.

He considers himself one of the lucky ones. After he was questioned about some record-keeping irregularities in the pharmacy, he confessed his problem and was enrolled in a treatment program for physicians.

Today, he runs his own treatment center and lectures to doctors and residents about drug addiction.

A few things to know about hepatitis C
For the 1,200 or so people in Colorado Springs being notified of potential exposure to Hepatitis C, anxiety is sure to be high. Here are a few things to know:

• In 50 percent or more cases, Hepatitis C is curable with treatment.

• Even without treatment, some people are largely unaffected. Living a healthful lifestyle —- eating wholesome foods, exercising, avoiding alcohol, staying rested — can greatly improve the odds by making things easier on the liver.

• There is support. In Colorado Springs, the next Hepatitis C support group meets 7-8:30 p.m. July 16 in the fifth-floor dining room at St. Francis Health Center, 825 E. Pikes Peak Ave. There’s also an informational meeting from 7-8:30 p.m. on July 23, tentatively planned at the same place. Having a confirmed case of Hepatitis C is not required. The coordinator, Dave, can be reached at 440-0025. A confidential care line is available at 1-800-522-HEPC (4372), and other support can be found at www.hepc-connection.org.

SOURCE: Nancy A. Steinfurth, executive director of Hep C Connection

--
Call Newsome at 636-0198. Visit the Pikes Peak Health blog at www.pikespeakhealth.freedomblogging.com and the Gazette's Health page at Gazette.com/health