Is it ever permissible to discharge an illicit drug user from hospital?
Is it ever permissible to discharge a patient who uses illicit drugs on hospital premises? It is argued that there is nothing inherent in the use of illicit drugs by a patient which justifies his/her discharge. However, the implications of the drug use need to be examined. First, if a patient's activity presents a significant risk to others, the hospital may be in breach of safety regulations and may need to secure alternative provision of treatment. Second, if the continued use of drugs limits the benefits of treatment, this treatment may be considered an inappropriate use of resources.
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D001294:Attitude to Health; D004335:Drug and Narcotic Control; D006801:Humans; D010351:Patient Discharge / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006113:United Kingdom