Substance Abuse in Coworkers: Don’t Be Afraid to Pull Someone Out from Under the Bus

​Healthcare professionals should not be afraid to report a colleague's drug or alcohol problem, said a recognized expert on addiction and recovery in nurses in a guest post on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Safe Healthcare Blog. The author aimed to dispel the perception that reporting is "throwing a colleague under the bus," adding that many professionals in recovery later say they were "already under the bus that was going to run over and kill them." Without assistance, a healthcare professional with a drug or alcohol problem could die or harm patients. The author shared the story of a man whose 35-year old fiancée, a nurse, died of an accidental overdose at her workplace.