C.O.R.I.P.
(Committee On Rehabilitating Impaired Pharmacists)
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Do you know a pharmacist, intern, or technician who is abusing alcohol or drugs? Or who is suffering from any other issue that may be causing impairment? How about a partner who fears your partner is diverting, an employer who has just terminated someone for stealing drugs but hasn’t notified the Board? How about a family member who is concerned about the behavior of your loved one, but is too scared to ask anyone what to do? And whom do you call anyway? Certainly not the Board!! |
But did you know that the Board of Pharmacy has a program that encourages voluntary reporting, assists in evaluation and treatment referrals and with cooperation on the part of the affected individual will support re-entry to the profession?
In 1989 the Board, through law, established CORIP, (Committee On Rehabilitating Impaired Pharmacist’s), an advisory panel that the Board relies on for guidance on issues of the impaired pharmacist. The Committee is comprised of representatives from the pharmacy community that are interested in these issues and the Impaired Pharmacist Program Administrator, Steve Moore. (Steve is the only person who knows the identity of the referrals to the Impaired Pharmacist Program).
The Mission of the CORIP Committee is to promote the early identification, intervention, rehabilitation, monitoring and successful reentry of impaired pharmacists, interns, and pharmacy technicians into the profession. CORIP will also provide ongoing education regarding issues of impairment.
The Committee has developed suggested policies and procedures for Board approval regarding every aspect of assisting the impaired pharmacist and his/ her family. This covers from reporting, to getting a thorough evaluation of the individual’s specific case with specialists, to appropriate treatment referrals, to assistance in preparing for a Board hearing.
Through the Impaired Pharmacist Program Administrator, the Board monitors the pharmacist upon successful completion of treatment with the goal of re-entry to the profession through ongoing support and monitoring for five years. While this may seem lengthy and perhaps invasive, monitoring provides the most reliable form of accountability, which, in the interest of public protection, enables the Board to allow people back to work safely. Monitoring provides a measure of legal protection for the affected individual and is also the number one reason why the recovery rates are so high for healthcare professionals!
The main issue however, is that someone’s life is on the line. We can’t do anything until we hear from you. If you are in the pharmacy community, it is your ethical responsibility to assist a pharmacist in need as well as to report yourself if you need help. If you’ve read this far you are probably more than curious.
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Please contact STEVE MOORE, F.L.S.W. He is the Impaired Pharmacist Administrator and is working for the Board through UAB. He is a licensed, certified social worker with a concentration in mental health and a specialty in addiction. He has worked in the field of Addiction Treatment/Mental Health issues since 1992 and is currently the Program Coordinator for the Addiction Recovery Program for UAB. His job is to help, not to judge. After, all, he’s in the business of helping people. Steve can be reached via confidential voice mail at 205 975-8548. (Pager number on message for emergency and after business hours). |
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spalvers@samford.edu |
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CORIP (Committee On Rehabilitating Impaired Pharmacists)
STRATEGIC PLAN 1999-
THE LAW The Code of Alabama {1975} Section 34-38-2 states that "it shall be the duty and obligation of the state board….of pharmacy to promote the early identification, intervention, treatment and rehabilitation of individuals within their respective jurisdiction, licensed to practice in the state of Alabama, who may be impaired by reason of illness, inebriation, excessive use of drugs, narcotics, controlled substances, alcohol, chemicals or other dependent forming substances, or as a result of any physical or mental condition rendering such person unable to meet the standards of his or her profession."
MISSION The mission of the CORIP Committee is to promote the early identification, intervention, rehabilitation, monitoring, and successful reentry of impaired pharmacists, interns, and pharmacy technicians into the profession. CORIP will also provide ongoing education regarding issues of impairment. 2/98.
GOALS
To promote the early identification, intervention, treatment and rehabilitation of impaired pharmacists, interns, and technicians.
To assist impaired pharmacists, interns, and technicians in their recovery process and safe return to professional practice through monitoring requirements.
To increase awareness of impairment issues through education of technicians, students, employers, and peers within the pharmacy community.
To protect the public welfare.
To establish the CORIP Committee as a credible, professional organization that appropriately represents the pharmacy community and its interests.
GOAL 1:
To promote the early identification, intervention, treatment and rehabilitation of impaired pharmacists
, interns, and students.Objectives
| 1.1 | To increase awareness of the issue of impairment among pharmacists, interns, and technicians by publicizing the CORIP Program. (Public speaking, booth at annual conventions, brochures and articles in newsletters.) |
| 1.2 | To develop suggested guidelines (policy and procedure) which will encourage confrontation (intervention) of suspected or verified impairment. |
| 1.3 | To establish criteria that must be met in order to be a Board-approved evaluator or provider of treatment. |
| 1.4 | To develop suggested policy and procedure that addresses obstacles to successful rehabilitation. |
GOAL 2:
To assist impaired pharmacists, interns, and technicians in their recovery process and return to professional practice through monitoring requirements.
Objectives
| 2.1 | To develop and maintain an industry recommended and standardized drug screening process. |
| 2.2 | To develop and maintain a monitoring process that documents recovery efforts through an appropriate monitoring agreement endorsed by the Board. |
| 2.3 | To develop RIP (Recovering Impaired Pharmacists) support group facilitator skill requirements, suggested guidelines for group meetings, provide resources for adequate training and develop a reporting tool that documents progress or lack thereof. |
| 2.4 | To develop fitness for duty/competency criteria that must be met prior to any identified pharmacist being allowed to return to professional practice. |
GOAL 3:
To increase awareness of impairment issues through education of technicians, students, employers, and peers within the pharmacy community.
Objectives
| 3.1 | To develop and maintain written didactic educational modules that would allow the CORIP Program Administrator and a CORIP Committee member to provide addictive disease education to the pharmacy, education, and technician community. |
| 3.2 | To obtain and maintain useful information regarding the CORIP program and impairment issues via development of an annual statistical report of participants and the compilation of survey results |
| 3.3 | To network with organizations and leaders in all sectors of the pharmacy community to assist in raising awareness of addiction and impairment issues in the community. |
| 3.4 | To collaborate with schools of pharmacy in: the development of addictive disease curriculum, increasing awareness of impairment issues prior to graduation, development of peer assistance programs, development of mechanisms for the early identification of students who are currently chemically dependent or have other impairment issues and who are at risk for chemical dependency or other impairment issues. |
- GOAL 4:
- To protect the public welfare.
Objectives
| 4.1 | To support mandatory reporting of impairment by employers, co-workers and supervisors. |
| 4.2 | To advocate for rigorous pharmacist adherence to appropriate treatment and monitoring programs as a condition for continuation in, or re-entry into, practice. |
| 4.3 |
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- GOAL 5:
| 5.1 | To publicize the functions and responsibilities of the CORIP Committee via presentations and articles in newsletters. |
| 5.2 | To develop letterhead and an updated brochure regarding the CORIP Program and Committee. |
| 5.3 | To develop and maintain an operational budget. |
| 5.4 | To develop a scholarship/loan program that would assist or enable suspected or impaired pharmacists to receive appropriate and credible evaluations and/or treatment. |
DOWNLOADABLE C.O.R.I.P. FORMS
POLICY 6
AFTERCARE FORM
POLICY 9 VERIFICATION OF PRESCRIBED MEDICATION FORM
POLICY 11 MEETING ATTENDANCE FORM
POLICY 12
COUNSELING FORM
