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Alcohol abuse among medical professionals can lead to DUI

On Behalf of | Jan 22, 2020 | Firm News

Anyone from any walk of life and in any profession can face serious struggles. You may have thought that becoming a doctor would bring you a sense of purpose and satisfaction in life, which is why you pursued this career choice. Though medical school was a struggle at times itself, you may have never really considered how stressful your chosen career of a doctor would be.

Stress, fatigue, burn out, good days and bad days can all affect how you feel at the end of a long shift. Though you may have managed to cope with healthy habits for a while, you eventually turned to alcohol. You are not the only medical professional to end up in this situation.

Coping with stress

As a doctor, you likely know that the amount you drink and the causes of your drinking are not healthy. Still, you find yourself pouring a drink as often as you can in efforts to cope with the difficulties of your job. Of course, drinking too much can affect your job and set you up for medical malpractice claims and disciplinary action from your superiors due to the following issues:

  • Missing shifts
  • Administering the wrong medications or wrong dosages
  • Not focusing on your necessary tasks
  • Risking patients’ safety, well-being and lives
  • Acting in an unprofessional manner
  • Having poor hygiene
  • Misdiagnosing conditions
  • Contaminating sterile areas
  • Generally making mistakes

Though you understand these risks, you may still not be able to stop yourself from drinking. If this is the case, you likely have an alcohol abuse problem. You may have wanted to ignore the issue until recent events.

Facing a DUI charge

Though your drinking did not cause anything unfortunate to take place at your place of employment, you did end up stopped by a police officer and charged with DUI. Now, various aspects of your future are at risk, even your job. This arrest may point out even more clearly that you have a drinking problem, and you may want to take steps to get help.

However, you also need to address the criminal charge you now face. It may be in your interests to consult with a Maryland attorney who can explain the effects a criminal conviction for DUI could have and discuss the ways in which you can fight back against the charge in efforts to work toward a favorable outcome.