Indicators of Potential Impairment

Multiple signs may give early warning to the impaired provider. None of the Pink Flags considered alone definitely indicates impairment but several of these indicators create concern. A provider who experiences any of the Red Flags should definitely undergo referral for evaluation.

Pink Flags	Red Flags
Work volume is either extremely low or extremely high	Arrest for driving while intoxicated
Solo Practitioner	Intoxication at social events
Single	Alcohol on breath
Minimalist practice, cookbook style with many consults	Alcohol withdrawal tremors
Malpractice suit	Personality change
Drinking a lot of fluids (could signal dehydration).	Repeated illnesses on Mondays
Large gain or loss of weight	Neglecting medical staff duties
Social withdrawal	Missing appointment with patients
Conducting rounds at unusual hours	Inappropriate or dangerous orders
Complaints about forgetfulness from nurses, patients	Unusually high doses or wastage in drug logs
Falling behind on charts
Unexplained absences