Family Medicine Physicians With Substance Use Disorder: A 5-year Outcome Study.

Objectives: There is little published evidence on how well family medicine physicians (FMPs) with substance use disorder (SUD) perform in Physician Health Programs (PHPs). We examined outcomes for FMP compared with non-FMP physicians.

Methods: This study utilized data from a 5-year, longitudinal, cohort study involving 904 physicians with diagnoses of SUD consecutively admitted to one of 16 state PHPs between 1995 and 2001.

Outcomes for Physicians With Opioid Dependence Treated Without Agonist Pharmacotherapy in Physician Health Programs.

Aims: To compare treatment outcome among substance dependent physicians enrolled in a physician health program (PHP) who have a history of alcohol use only, any opioid use, or non-opioid drug use, in order to determine whether the distinctive PHP system of care management is as effective for individuals with opioid use disorders as for those with alcohol or other drug use disorders.

Methods: A 5-year, retrospective chart review, intent-to-treat analysis was conducted for all physicians admitted to 16 physician health programs (N=702; 85.5% male; age range=24-75).

Prognosis for Emergency Physician with substance abuse recovery: 5-year outcome study.

Introduction: Emergency physicians (EPs) are reported to have a higher rate of substance use disorder (SUD) than most specialties, although little is known about their prognosis. We examined the outcomes of emergency physician compared to other physicians in the treatment of substance use disorders in Physician Health Programs (PHP).

Methods: This study used the dataset from a 5-year, longitudinal, cohort study involving 904 physicians with diagnoses of SUD consecutively admitted to one of 16 state PHPs between 1995 and 2001.

Cellular photo digital breathalyzer for monitoring alcohol use: a pilot study.

Background: Monitoring alcohol use is important in numerous situations. Direct ethanol metabolites, such as ethyl glucuronide (EtG), have been shown to be useful tools in detecting alcohol use and documenting abstinence. For very frequent or continuous control of abstinence, they lack practicability.

Phosphatidylethanol: the potential role in further evaluating low positive urinary ethyl glucuronide and ethyl sulfate results.

Background: Whereas urinary ethyl glucuronide (EtG) levels above 1,000 ng/ml reflect with a high probability ethanol (EtOH) consumption, levels below this cutoff are difficult to interpret as both extraneous (nonbeverage) EtOH exposure, recent drinking, and more distant high EtOH intake (several days ago) might yield similar results. This might be of particular relevance in medico-legal cases. To overcome this dilemma, phosphatidylethanol (PEth) might be a promising marker, because blood PEth is only positive following significant alcohol use.