Here Pharmacy

What happens to a pharmacists license if they are addicted to drugs?

What happens if a pharmacist is found to be a drug addict? Would a pharmacy keep that pharmacist on staff if the drug addict pharmacist agreed to treatment? Could you get another job as a pharmacist if you were fired? If a person were a drug addict, wouldn't that be bad to have that person working in the drug field? Wouldn't that be like hiring an alcoholic to be a bartender?

Public Comments

1. Nothing, if no one finds out.
2. You would get fired and loose your license. You may be able to get them back after treatment. But I know if a nurse looses their license for drugs and get them back they can no longer pass narcotics.
3. Okay I have alot of information for you, I am not sure if your the pharmacist but I ca definately help you or whoever your asking for. I am a drug and alcohol counselor and I am the supervising counselor in a rehab center. If this pharmacist was to check themselves in to rehab then it would be completely confidential and no one would even have to know they had a drug problem, unless they stole drugs from work, then they are looking at a problem, and would probably have to be clean for atleast a year and okay random drug tests in order to get another job. But if this person has gone under the radar and no one knows about it then their best bet is to take a leave of absense and check into treatment and get the help they need. I am also a recovering addict, and I know alot of alcoholics who have been sober for years that work in a bar and are bartenders, If you have the willpower to stay clean then being around it shouldnt bother you. I am guessing that this pharmacist is addicted to opiates becaue that would be the only real thing they would be exposed to in a pharmacy because coke and marijuana and stuff are not prescribed so im assjuming it is pills. You need to let this person know that if they do take drugs from wirk especially the controlled sbstances they are going to get caught and in that case they wont be able to get a job in the field and they will probably lose their liscense. Trust me I know how terrible addiction is and you need to have this person get into treatment as soon as possible. I work around addicts everyday, and everyday when pepole come in for intakes I have to search their stuff and atleat 2 out of every 10 patienst that comes in, comes in with my drug of choice and I have to flush it down the toilet, so it is right in front of my face but my job is more important to me than getting high so I know better. So even though this person works in a pharmacy they can still go back in that environment if they are serious about staying clean. If this is you that your talking about, and you need some more facts, and HIPAA law information, and information for your state and what they do please e mail me and I would be happy to talk to you. I know being in my field I have to be certified to be a addictions counselor and most addictions counselors like myself are recovering addicts, but we do get drug tested, and if the certification board who gives us our liscenes would find out that one of us were using drugs then we would have to go to treatment, and stay sober for atleast 6 months and then we could return to our job, and keep our liscense. So I hope this helps you.
4. It's complicated, and the answer depends on the state. In short, if you are discovered to have a drug problem, you can be fired and have licensing issues. If you admit to your problem, then you are in a better position. The health profession licensing board's have a drug abuse clinic. People in these situations do have problems finding jobs. Some do find jobs which are not in a direct drug dispensing environment.