The last reason to be mentioned in this essay as to why people might consider drug testing medical professionals is because of the fear it might give motive to medical professionals to stay clean and not abuse drugs. Although there is some truth to this idea, time and time again it has been shown not to be the case. There are many examples of people who are on probation for drug use who must get tested on a monthly basis who fail their tests regardless of their knowledge of the consequences if they fail the drug test. A famous example of this is Lindsay Lohan.
Lindsay Lohan is a celebrity who has been in the news time and time again for her alcoholism. She was given many chances to quit drinking and failed several times even though she was forced to wear a device that measured whether or not she drank. This is a clear instance of drug testing not preventing bad behavior. She wanted to drink and didn't care what happened afterward. Most addicts can attest to the idea that it is difficult to stop. If a medical professional has a drug problem. The possiblity he/she might get drug tested will not deter him/her from consuming drugs.
To conclude, there are some good reasons to use random drug testing, drug testing in general when it comes to medical professionals. They are afterall, taking care of everyone who is sick or injured and should be at their best when performing their duties. Drug testing provides concrete evidence. But, the reality is that drug testing is not the best method to determine the competency of the medical professional. There are other cheaper, most effective ways of doing so.
There are also other things that motivate people to make bad choices, like money and fame, not drugs. So drug testing won't determine incompetency in those cases. Accuracy is also another problem that drug testing creates because of the chance of false-positives and false-negatives. People can't determine by a simple drug test how well a person is doing his/her job. In the end it is active monitoring and communication that leads to a productive work enviroment...
Evaluation and Feedback | DMC Sinai-Grace Hospital. Retrieved February 24, 2013, from http://www.sgintmed.org/about-our-program/curriculum/evaluation-and-feedback
This source is from a hospital website. It allows visitors to see how they run evaluations for residents of their hospital. The information is current.
Michael Jackson Trial: Meet the Witnesses, Attorneys, and Jury - Entertainment & Stars. (n.d.).Latest UK News | Breaking News | Business News | Sport, Politics, Economy, Market News - International Business Times UK. Retrieved February 24, 2013, from http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/articles/223314/20111002/micheal-jackson-trial-day-one-conrad-murray-kenny-ortega.htm
This source is from an entertainment website from the UK. It gives information on the Conrad Murray trial. It is used to provide evidence of doctors who are not under the influence of drugs, but still make bad decisions.
Pros & Cons of Drug Testing Methods. (n.d.). Home Testing Kits | Instant Home Drug Test Kits | Laboratory Drug Testing Kits. Retrieved February 24, 2013, from http://www.testcountry.com/ProsandConsofDifferentDrugTestingMethods.html
This is a website source that gives information on the pros and cons of drug testing. It shows the varieties of drug tests. It also gives information on which tests are available.
The Toulmin Model of Argumentation. (n.d.). ROHAN Academic Computing WWW Server. Retrieved from http://www-rohan.sdsu.edu/~digger/305/toulmin_model.htm
This source was used to aid in constructing this essay. It provides information on the Toulmin Model of Argumentation. It helps clarify any questions.
WebMD (2010, June 1). Drug Tests Not Immune from False Positives. CBS NEWS [New York], p. 1. Retrieved from http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-500368_162-6537635.html
This source is from a new website that discusses false positives. It is an electronic source. It was written in 2010.
