Patients Who Use Heroin Poses a Real Problem for Medical Staff

 

When heroin users are admitted into a hospital, they often pose a serious dilemma to medical staff. Many healthcare workers have to figure out how to resolve their medical issues while providing them with drugs. This is not an easy thing for medical personnel to do. While they do want heroin addicts to avoid withdrawal symptoms, they do not want to supply these individuals with drugs. The need to properly provide heroin addicts with standard medical treatment is important. However, this cannot happen if a patient is desiring their next fix.

Heroin Addicts and Hospital Stays

Heroin addicts go to hospitals for medical care when they need it. If they get an infection or break a limb they will show up to a hospital like any other person. However, heroin addicts need specialized care. This group of patients don’t have access to drugs while they are in the hospital. As a result, medical personnel typically must provide them with a heroin substitute to help deal with their addiction.

The Healthy Debate website featured an article that revealed how heroin patients are given morphine or fentanyl to combat their addiction problems. Many patients who must stay in hospitals are often expected to withdraw from heroin. However, this proves to be problematic if an addict does not have the desire or ability overcome their addiction.

Some Hospitals Are Trying Accommodate Heroin Patient Addiction

Hospitals around the nation are trying to help heroin addiction. Some organizations are opening their bathrooms to heroin addicts making them safe places for them to use drugs. The reason why they are taking this approach has to do with safety. A person overdosing stands a higher chance of survival if they are discovered in a hospital bathroom. Some drug abusing patients are being treated with strong enough doses narcotics that will help them to cope with the pain of withdrawal.

However, their dosages will be given in a controlled way to at least try to get patients to withdraw. Many medical professionals believe that it is ethically wrong to provide patients with more drugs. However, they are not foolish enough to believe they will be able to survive without some type of narcotic substance that is like heroin. Saving lives is more important than having people die.

Problems with Employee Drug Abuse and Heroin Patient

Hospitals also experience problems with some of their workers abusing drugs. Desert News in Utah featured a story about medical staff who steal and use drugs while in the workplace. Sometimes these individuals wait patiently for heroin patients to enter their facility. Once they arrive they quietly and cleverly siphon off drugs that are supposed to be used for the addict. A urine drug testing is sometimes used to curb this problem.

Sometimes medical personnel prescribe extremely high amounts of drugs and then take away the access before it is discovered. They will write it up in a certain way so no one will find out what they are doing. This is just one way that drug abusing employees can get narcotic substances from hospital facilities without being detected. This is a serious problem and hospital are working hard to resolve it.

A Final Word about Heroin Patients and the Hospital Setting

Heroin patients are not trying to bring their problems to anyone when they arrive at a hospital. Instead, they just want help with their medical issue so they can get back to doing their drugs. Not all heroin patients want to recover. Some want to continue their habit. Still, hospitals are trying to provide the best care possible for these patients.

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