Medical professionals are not immune to drug addiction or experimentation. Working with medicine may only increase the odds of it. But if you’re charged with drug possession, your consequences might be more significant than those for the average person. You may fear what the outcome of a guilty plea brings. And the possibility of losing your medical license is frightening.
Most substances are either regulated or illegal in California. Thus, many drug penalties carry more significant consequences than alcohol offenses. If you are charged with drug possession, it is worth knowing the outcomes you may face.
Consequences of drug possession charges
Losing your practice is a scary prospect. It may be the first thing on your mind after receiving a possession charge. Depending on the grounds of your charges, they could qualify as professional misconduct. This is regardless of whether your offense occurred on the job.
Drug charges are often felonies or misdemeanors of “moral turpitude.” Moral turpitude encompasses behaviors and actions which violate the community’s social standards. The unwritten social contract between doctors and patients is one such standard. And it plays an outsize role in the medical board’s evaluation of your license. Thus, your drug possession charges may put your patients’ safety at risk.
Yet you might keep your license and receive probation. Probation, for medical professionals, means you cannot run your own practice during this period. Your work may be subject to monitoring, and you may be subject to drug tests by court order.
Working through the aftermath
No matter the result of your charges, you can choose to attend treatment. This could be court-mandated, or by your own accord. Treatment is one of the most effective means of dealing with addiction or use. 74 to 90% of physicians who go through treatment remain abstinent afterward. This is a far higher rate than the general population.
Though drug charges might hurt your career, they do not have to end it. By familiarizing yourself with the recourse for possession, you can prepare for the consequences you might face. Working with a legal professional can help you understand the potential outcomes and provide you with a path forward.
