Nurses three times more likely to overdose than other medical professionals: Aussie study

More nurses die from deliberate drug overdoses than any other health care professionals, a landmark Australian study has revealed.

The study, released by Melbourne's Monash University on Monday, found that nurses made up 62 percent of all drug-related deaths of Australian medical professionals from 2003 to 2013, followed by doctors who made up 18 percent.

The study included medical practitioners (doctors), paramedics, nurses, dentists, psychologists, pharmacists and vets.

Jennifer Pilgrim, lead author of the study, said that most of the nurses were women, and most of the doctors were male.

"Drug-caused deaths amongst healthcare professionals in Australia commonly involve females in their mid-40s, with a diagnosis of mental illness, personal and professional stress and the intent to self-harm," Pilgrim told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) on Monday.

Pilgrim said that when the number of people employed in each part of the health sector was considered, veterinarians were most at risk of a fatal overdose.

"Most of these vets involved intentional self-harm where they took an overdose of barbiturates," she said.

"Until this study, we didn't know if drug-related overdoses were a problem in Australia.

"Professional and personal stresses were also very common, along with financial problems, relationship problems and workplace stress."

The report found that most of the drugs used in the fatal incidents were obtained illegally through the workplace by theft or self-prescription.

Pilgrim said the findings raised serious concerns about whether enough is being done to monitor health workers for mental health problems and drug use.

"Many healthcare professionals treat themselves or don't seek treatment at all," she said.

"It highlights the need for better detection of these problems to provide them with the support they need." Endit