Doctors and nurses with a history of drug or alcohol problems will have to submit to compulsory hair testing under new rules for Australian health workers.
The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency says mandatory hair testing will be routine for all registered health practitioners with “substance-related impairment” under a screening protocol to be introduced by the agency.
Under the rules, health practitioners who have restrictions on their registration linked to past substance abuse will have routine hair testing in addition to urine testing.
The AHPRA said routine hair testing could provide more detailed information.