Is cocaine use reportable? can patients be reported for using drugs?

Question

So many patients get admitted for complications from sustained drug use( cociane,opiods etc).how does the government continue to look away while paying these folks as well as footing their hospital bills which run into billions?

Answer 1

Because, if doctors reported drug use then those people would stop going to the doctor. Doctor's are more concerned with healing the sick patient. Which is the way it should be.

Answer 2

To report this would be an infringement of the Patient/Doctor confidentiality clause that doctors must uphold. Unless it's a minor, they are bound by this rule/law however, the drugs found to be in your system are logged into your medical file and when you sign a consent for release to other doctors or agencies it is then logged into the records of the doctor/agency and upon request, is shared amoung the Insurance community and some Law Enforcement Officials. The Department of Human Services
( Food Stamp Office ) runs an N.C.I.C ( National Crimes Information Center ) and if you have any drug convictions you are perminetly dis-qualified from the Food Stamp Program and other
State and/or Federally Funded Programs. If there are children involved then the person applying must have a payee ( A person
that has not been convicted of any drug related offense and can handle your money.) The "Payee" is responsible for issueing out the money or buying the groceries from the market, and that is supposed to insure that the funds don't get used for drugs or any other purpose. that is the short of it.

GOD BLESS/GOOD LUCK!

Answer 3

The only way it is reportable (HIPPA patient privacy laws) is if the health care provider believes that there is significant risk that the patient could be of harm to his/herself or others.In this case the patient is till treated, however the police are notified and begin the process to request a CPO (court protective order) signed by a judge presiding in the local county or city.Once this achieved, the patient no longer has the right to leave AMA (against medical advice). He is under court order to report for a competency trial where a decision is made to treat the patient through a city or state drug rehabilitation pgm.

Answer 4

There are are some things hospitals are required to report by law. Medical professionals are in the business of treating people to attempt to make them better. Law enforcement is not in this area. The prisons are full of drunks, druggies and mentally ill. They get medical care there also. It can be frustrating that we continue to take care of people who self inflict their illness but there are a number of other illlness that are self inflicted also. Overweight caused multiple health problems. Should we not treat them because they are obese? What about the drunk driver who has a wreck should we let them die? How about the person with high blood pressure who did not take their meds, watch their diet and has a stroke. Should we not treat them. These things are frustrating to medical personnel everyday and then the patient thinks they checked in a hotel instead of a hospital and some can be very demanding. Don't even begin to think about what some family members do. At this time we don't ration health care. It may come to that someday but until we need to treat them, provided information and assistance to try and get them to change but I can assure you most will be back with the same problem again and we start the cycle over again.

Answer 5

well unless they are sitting there in the hospital doing the drugs, there is really nothing they can do. i mean if someone voluntarily checks themselves into treatment should they be reported and go to jail? it doesn't make sense. if they hurt someone or are acting crazy they can be arrested for being under the influence in public. but if they are seeking help then the more important thing is to get them to stop using, to be well and not arrested. also, the patients get sent the bills and the hospitals use the appropriate collection activity to get it. even so i'm sure many of them never get paid but getting treatment is the more important part.

Answer 6

I would like to see any studies about this. It would seem that the this is a selfsolving problem. A person is admitted with drug complications only so many times. AIDS, hep, staph, heart failure, etc. gets them after a while.
We still have a major addiction problem in this country. It is made worse by the celebrities who continue to flaunt their use. It includes drugs like alcohol and nicotine. We all need to work on it.

Answer 7

It may be reportable but so what? What will the authorities do, if they don't see someone actually using the drug there is nothing they can do. If you really want to stop the drug use and if you are able try to get the person some help.

Drug addiction is a disease.

Answer 8

I would think these patients have learned their lesson.

Also, if the government really wanted to do something about all the drug use/abuse, they would. But it seems to me that they don't because there could be situations that couldve been prevented but were not. Who knows, the goverment themselves could be involved, making all the money from drug sales, then even more when they bust the drug users.

Answer 9

no. doctor-patient privelige

your doctor can report you if you suffer from a condition like epilepsy will make you a danger behind the wheel of a car.

Answer 10

They invented the "HIPPA" laws. These are laws that state that we (medical providers) cannot talk to police officers about our patients. I can't even give my opinon to an officer if my patient (who crashed her car) was intoxicated or not.