Consequences Of An Arrest Or Conviction Involving Drugs Or Alcohol

A case involving an individual provider’s arrest or a conviction involving alcohol abuse (DWI/public intoxication) or drugs (possession, diversion, theft, trafficking) will likely result in a number of negative, possibly detrimental, career consequences because of the repercussive effect on the provider’s professional license and employability. 

First, the provider may be required to enroll in the Impaired Nurses Program (IPN) (for nurses only) or the Professionals Resource Network (PRN) (for all other licensed health professionals).  The provider may face an action to revoke, suspend, or take other action against the clinical privileges and medical staff membership of those licensed providers who have such in a hospital, ambulatory surgical center, skilled nursing facility, or staff model HMO or clinic.

A report of the arrest or conviction to the National Practitioner Data Base (NPDB) (formerly the Healthcare Integrity and Protection Data Bank or HIPDB) will be made and remain there for 50 years. A report will also be made to and included in the Department of Health (DOH) profile that is available to the public online, to remain for at least 10 years. Any other states or jurisdictions in which the provider has a license will also initiate action against him or her in that jurisdiction. The Office of Inspector General (OIG) of Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will take action to exclude the provider from the Medicare Program.

The provider will consequently be placed on the List of Excluded Individuals and Entities (LEIE) maintained by the HHS OIG.  The provider will also be automatically debarred and prohibited from participating in any capacity in any federal contracting and placed on the U.S. General Services Administration’s (GSA’s) debarment list.  If the provider is certified by a professional health organization, an action will likely be initiated to revoke that certification by the organization.  Third party payors, including private health insurance companies, will terminate the professional’s contract. 

Regardless of any of the above, any licensed facility licensed (hospitals, skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), public health clinics, public health clinics, group homes for the developmentally disabled, etc.) that are required to perform background screenings on their employees will learn that the professional is disqualified from employment.