skicrs Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 I am a Paramedic with about 10 years of solid work experience (ED, Ambulance, Physician's office) and I have a B.S. in general science. I have experience in international EMS and have authored an article in "Emergency Medical Services" related to EMS in West Africa. Here is the deal....I am a recovering opiate addict and I am concerned about the temptations surrounding employment. I am very excited about my prospects of becoming a PA, but I want to have some valuable input concerning the pros and cons on following with my goal. Does anyone have any suggestions without going into the details of my addiction? I thought about nursing as well....but temptation is temptation. Regardless of nursing or PA I most likely will be around controlled substances if I would like to stay in the medical field (and I do). Respectively, Chad Smith, Paramedic, B.S. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator ventana Posted November 15, 2011 Moderator Share Posted November 15, 2011 one thing is rather you have a legal record - if you do then it will be very hard to gain admission to a progam (no impossible but hard) Then every DEA, controlled sub license and insurance credentialing app had some little question about addiction - I suspect it is possible, but also that it would be very difficult Honestly I would strongly consider a field where opiates/benzo's are not utilized and you have limited access - think PT, OT, SLP, Chiro, all in an out patient setting. Nursing, PA and the like would be hard as above... most important is not the profession but your ongoing sobriety - choose a field that will help with that - maybe counseling, Phd?? LCSW? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ICRob0351 Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 To the OP - Having dealt with family members that have had long, difficult histories with benzos and opiates I can say that your NUMBER ONE priority is your sobriety. Everything else is a distant second. Without your sobriety, you have nothing. Without getting specific, I have seen first hand how damaging being in the medical field can be when an individual has a license to prescribe schedule 2 narcotics, or can easily obtain them. You need to be absolutely sure that you are strong enough in your sobriety that you will not put your career or life in jeopardy if you become a PA. If you feel there is even a remote possibility that you will succumb to these temptations, even if it is one slip, you should wait to enter the PA profession. I really commend you on your sobriety and your courage and willingness to ask for advice. Bottom line is, don't sacrifice a career that you potentially love to do a job you're not as thrilled about to avoid temptation. That will ultimately lead to regret and can be potentially destructive. IMHO just make sure you can handle can mentally handle it, and when you know you're there, make sure you have a rock solid family/friend support network and GO FOR IT. I wish you the best of luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skicrs Posted November 15, 2011 Author Share Posted November 15, 2011 Thank you for your input. I have thought about counseling and such. I have no interest in OT/PT/Chiro but I do have a strong interest in Public Health. Specifically I like working with Infectious Diseases and as a Paramedic I worked in an ID/HIV office as a Medical Assistant. My only concern is not finding employment with a MPH. BTW I have no record in regard to narcotics. I do have a Misdemeanor though..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HopefulPA Posted November 16, 2011 Share Posted November 16, 2011 There are medical professionals with addictions just as there are recovering alcoholics working as bartenders. The big question is can you resist the temptations. I bet you can since you are already thinking about potential issues. So recognizing the temptations are trying to minimize them will likely lead to a successful sobriety. I agree there are lots of areas where your exposure to narcs. Derm,peds, ob, Infectious dz. endocrine, nephrology. I work in IM in a hospital. Both Hospitals I have worked for, RNs have the access and administer the narcs that I write. At discharge scripts (numbered) for controlled substances are also kept in the pxysis and must be recorded to the pt. Only you can decide what you can handle. I imagine as a paramedic you have admistered opiates/benzos and have dealt with the temptation.... good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dm123 Posted November 16, 2011 Share Posted November 16, 2011 Big question is were they legally prescribed and taken as prescribed or were they obtained on the street? Big difference. I'm not an expert in this area but there are drugs, Subutrex comes to mind, that could help keep you away from craving opiates and may even help with any pain issues. Those who take opiates for pain issues are not necessarily on them to get high. It can end up that way though, but generally you wouldn't even recognize them being on opiates without a close PE. That is why you would need a good doctor or PA experienced in these meds, if you still need them legally from time to time. When I was in PA school, opiates were pretty much used post-op, during an MI, or terminally ill. Now days there are board certified specialists in pain control and know how to use these tools. I think legally prescribed opiates are generally not frowned on in recent years as the were in the past like the same drugs obtained from the street. I have always looked at the issue as one is addiction (abuse) and the other is dependence (need to have to function in as close a normal life as possible). One is more psychological dependence while the other is more physiological. The down side is our bodies don't know the difference when withdrawal happens. If you were open with the issue, with you PA school and your future employer, allowed random drug screens and took, if need a drug like Subutrex to help get you thru the rough spots, well, I would hire such a person. It would be a one strike and you are out rule attached to any contract though for drugs obtained and not properly prescribed to YOU, meaning no borrowing from aunt Lucy etc., at least for a few years. I'd think they would give you a leg up in the forgiveness department over a certain Penn football coach. Seems like this would be a good {Contrarian, maybe opps on spelling} question. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Contrarian Posted November 16, 2011 Share Posted November 16, 2011 Seems like this would be a good {Contrarian, maybe opps on spelling} question. Spelling is Fine... :=D: Yeah... I read this about 2 mins after he posted it and then purposely avoided answering because my view won't be popular here... Basically, I don't think the OP should work anywhere near any access to narcotics. The chemistry changes of the addicted brain WILL cause a relapse if in proximity to the DOC. Too risky to be walking around with a DEA #... and a altered mesolimbic tract. Find another line of work. Just my thoughts... Contrarian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HopefulPA Posted November 16, 2011 Share Posted November 16, 2011 Too risky to be walking around with a DEA #... There are many PA-Cs out there that don't have or need a DEA# to work and are great PAs. There are docs out there with the same addiction issues and they are not forced to quit practicing medicine. They key is recognizing the triggers to avoid and how to affectively deal with the temptations to relapse. If you really think that being able to prescibe opiates will lead to a relapse then you should choose another career choice. But keep in mind there are PA jobs out there that don't require a DEA# to work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator ventana Posted November 16, 2011 Moderator Share Posted November 16, 2011 Spelling is Fine... :=D: Yeah... I read this about 2 mins after he posted it and then purposely avoided answering because my view won't be popular here... Basically, I don't think the OP should work anywhere near any access to narcotics. The chemistry changes of the addicted brain WILL cause a relapse if in proximity to the DOC. Too risky to be walking around with a DEA #... and a altered mesolimbic tract. Find another line of work. Just my thoughts... Contrarian well put and I agree Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Febrifuge Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 I solo at an Urgent Care, and we have NOTHING on the premises more powerful than Toradol, so if a provider doing my job had an addiction problem, it wouldn't be a matter of raiding a cupboard or being tempted by the physical presence of the meds. But having the DEA# and the ability to prescribe is something I take really seriously, and I don't have to deal with addiction. Even with the little I know about the subject, though, I mostly agree with Vent and Contrarian: this could, potentially (and because of the neurophysiology involved, will probably) be a really bad idea. At a minimum, I'd avoid any job that requires a DEA#, in fact I'd never get one, and I'd probably have a talk with anyone extending me an offer of employment. If the OP can manage all that and still wants to take a shot at the profession, I'd say someone with that kind of determination should get one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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