Transcript Managing Substance Misuse in the Workplace

Managing Substance Misuse
In The Workplace
Kelly Burke
 Primary Care Drug Liaison Worker
 Bury Substance Misuse Service
 4 Tenterden Street, Bury
 0161 253 6488
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Introduction
Treatment perspective
 Harm Reduction approach
 Increase health and reduce use
 Substitute prescribing
 Preparing for and supporting change
 Referral to other agencies
 Working while in treatment
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Patterns of Drug Use
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Recreational / Leisure use
– Alcohol
– Cannabis
– Cocaine
– Ecstacy/Amphetamine
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Dependent use
– Heroin
– Crack
– Alcohol
Symptoms and Signs
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These may include:
– Increase short term sickness
– Deterioration in relationships with others
– Increased irritability/aggression
– Increase in levels of accidents
– Low productivity
NB some or all of these could be also the result of
mental health problems, stress or relationship
breakdown.
Effect of Substance Misuse at
Work
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Personal Health
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Productivity
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Health and Safety
Some Figures
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40% of of the workforce U40yrs have
experimented with illicit drugs. Drug Scope
1998
Alcohol is involved in up to 25% of
industrial accidents in UK . HSE 1981
 Estimated cost of Alcohol and Drug use
to UK economy £20 billion
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Recruitment
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Pre-employment Questionnaire
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Information re policy to job candidates
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What do we do with the information?
Risk
Identify overall risk among workforce
 Minimise -Occupational Health
- Positive health promotion
-Info / training to workforce
 Substance misuse policy applied at ALL
levels of company/organisation
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Retention
Early Identification/help seeking
encouraged
 Access to help and advice in work time
 Confidentiality or open information
sharing.
 Choice of treatment agencies/work
funding/insurance
 Return to work
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Drug Testing
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What to do with results?
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Reliability of results
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Cost vs Benefits
What Changes Need to Be
Made?
HSE/Home Office guides
 Share Experience/Expertise
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Training in the Workplace
 Modifying recruitment and retention
policies
 Work with staff not against them
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