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Drug testing at time of birth: How physicians are co-opted into harming families while thinking they are doing the right thing

Drug testing at time of birth: How physicians are co-opted into harming families while thinking they are doing the right thing

FromOn Becoming a Healer


Drug testing at time of birth: How physicians are co-opted into harming families while thinking they are doing the right thing

FromOn Becoming a Healer

ratings:
Length:
63 minutes
Released:
Nov 21, 2023
Format:
Podcast episode

Description

The practice of urine drug testing during pregnancy and then often reporting positive results to Child Protective Services triggers a cascade that can result in separation of mother and newborn, with devastating consequence for both. These practices are more common when patients come from marginalized communities even when baseline substance use rates are the same. As our guest -- obstetrician/gynecologist and addiction medicine expert Mishka Terplan MD, MPH -- points out, illicit substances are not teratogens in comparison to, say, alcohol, tobacco or lead exposure. So why do we order these tests? He also discusses how talking with patients about substance use behaviors, especially with the help of screening instruments, is the only way to characterize substance use behaviors and formulate treatment strategies. This is the third episode in which we learn of common clinician practices in which clinicians are co-opted into punitive and even carceral systems of oppression.
Released:
Nov 21, 2023
Format:
Podcast episode

Titles in the series (49)

Two physicians, through dialogue and interviews, take a critical look at medical training and the culture of medicine and explore how interpersonal boundary clarity and the capacity to fully engage are essential to effective medical practice, mentoring, medical education, and a nourishing career. This podcast builds on Dr. Weiner’s book, On Becoming a Healer: The Journey from Patient Care to Caring about Your Patients (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2020). Hosted by Saul J. Weiner MD, and Stefan Kertesz MD MSc