A penny for your thoughts

1sttime · Jun 16, 2015

Its maybe unlikely that would happen, but it can be reported if someone anonymously reports- then the BON would likely ask you to voluntarily share your medical records...

Too many what ifs in the situation- hopefully you are taking care of yourself-

SookieBSN · Jun 16, 2015

I assume the positive was not a drug that is easily explained like opiates or amphetamines.

Definitely a lot of what ifs....I do know of one occasion where a doctor was brought in to the hospital he worked at after overdosing on heroin at home. He was reported. Another one that I just thought of was a doctor who was in a car accident caused by him drunk driving. He was also brought into the hospital he worked at.

Lots of circumstances can exist.

kesweatt · Jun 22, 2015

That would be a violation of HIPPA Laws and you could sue.

PixieRN1 · Aug 23, 2017

I know this post is beyond old, but I think it my story is very pertinent.

I went to the hospital and was admitted from the ER (wasn't working at all as a nurse at the time due to a long surgical recovery). I was admitted for full blown sepsis stemming from cellulitis...from injecting my own prescription of Wellbutrin.

My urine screen was negative for everything (but obviously doesn't check for Wellbutrin). Regardless, because my health insurance was COBRA'd from another area hospital, they dug and found out that I was still very much a licensed RN, despite having been unemployed due to my surgery for quite a while (It was a GI surgery, and I wasn't on any controlled meds).

The attending ended up consulting risk management, who ended up bringing in their legal department. They made the decision to report me to the BON...but never told me.

I only found out because they were doing rounds outside my door and I overheard the whole thing. When they came in I grilled them. Turns out, earlier in the year the DHP had slapped their wrist for not reporting a doctor who was a patient with an addiction issue. Don't know how the DHP found the MD out. They straight up said that they now erred on the side of unnecessarily reporting versus under reporting.

I didn't report myself to the BON, but I did contact HPMP and had a contract within two weeks. I heard from the investigator a month and a half later after my admission date. Because I self-reported to the monitoring program, they are recommending a stay of action on my license provided I complete my five years in monitoring. So even to date, my license is clean and multi-state with no public information.

Almost a year later, I still haven't heard back from the Board...but I know that I will...this time with HPMP on my side. I just landed my first return to practice position after about two weeks of searching. They approved me back to work four months in, but I didn't feel firm enough in my sobriety or mental health to go back with confidence until recently.

Honestly, HPMP not only easily saved my life, but also my license.

All this to say, whether or not people feel or believe that it is a HIPPA violation, yes...hospitals absolutely do this...apparently under threat from the DHP.

The more you know...

RickG85 · Aug 23, 2017

May I ask why you were Injecting your Wellbutrin? I'm just curious because I'm going to ask my Dr for a script for it, but I'm worried its something people abuse? I really want to get a handle on my depression and have tried almost all the SSRIs with no results..

PixieRN1 · Aug 24, 2017

This is a laymen's article about bupropion abuse.

Abuse of Depression Drug Gives a Cocaine-Like High

Injecting Wellbutrin gives a high that addiction doctors liken to that of IV crack cocaine. Wellbutrin (bupropion) has no oral abuse potential, thanks to the first pass metabolism effect...however, when you bipass the gut, it hits the dopamine receptors pretty hard.

Stick to straight PO use, take the med as prescribed and it's absolutely not addictive and cannot get you high.

And in case any one is wondering, Recovery Trek tests me with an add on blood test randomly.

P.S. In a good-faith effort to discourage anyone who may ever think of experimenting with this stuff, the pill is so blazingly caustic that it will LITERALLY liquify one's veins and surrounding sub-q tissue. Users develop countless abscesses, collapsed veins, track marks, fat necrosis, big increased risk for DVT or PE, it can actually trigger random seizures, and personally it left me massively SEPTIC...I barely dodged surgery for endocarditis.

Peace and love...

Lisacar130 · Aug 24, 2017

Yes, I have seen this happen.