I’ve seen a lot of discourse about Langdon and Santos, especially after this last episode. So I did a little research on Diversion of Controlled Substances in Health Care, which is unfortunately very common, and the consequences. Obviously drug diversion is a public health risk and is subject to not only suspension/termination of licensing, but legal persecution from both the DEA and patients. But do to the volume of diversion in health care, basically every state has some form of a rehabilitation program either run by the state board or the Federation of State Physician Health Programs.
I’m assuming that Langdon is in a Physician Health Program, which is a confidential recovery program and is an alternative to board disciplinary action. The PA PHP does not immediately report physicians to the state board if they voluntarily enter the program but will report them to the board if they’re non compliant and pose a public risk. The PA PHP also has a non voluntary program in which the state board themselves refer the physician to the program. Assuming that Langdon voluntarily submitted himself to the PHP, the hospital would still be aware of his substance abuse and recovery process. The agreement with the PHP usually requires informing the hospital’s medical director or department chair to ensure patient safety. The PHP provides documentation to hospitals to confirm a physician is compliant with treatment or monitoring plans.
So while he’s not facing immediate disciplinary action by the state board, his license and ability to practice are 100% on the line. The 10 months in rehab does not mean he is finished, physicians enter a monitoring agreement with the PHP which is usually 5 years long and includes frequent, supervised, and random drug testing. It can also include worksite monitoring and regular reporting of progress to ensure compliance.
This is not to say that Santos should “get over it” or that she’s overreacting. But I do think that the ppl villainizing Langdon over his substance abuse are simply uninformed and looking at it from a “black and white” viewpoint. Consequences does not always mean disciplinary action, and in a field that is so high stress with such easy access to controlled substances there has to be a level of compassion for these individuals while still maintaining the level of control of patient safety.
I am neither for or against Santos or Langdon. To me, they are two sides of the same coin. Both want to be heard but don’t want to listen. They are both selfish individuals in different ways. They both struggle with how others view them vs how they view themselves.
I love you Pitt writers for giving us such beautifully complex characters 🫶🏻
