Physician in recovery seeks advice with hims request

[Unregistered]

I am a physician with a chemical dependency to opiates. I recently sought to renew my way expired Medical and was of course denied and pointed in the direction of hims/ims/ame. My questions are twofold. I have done a bit of reading and it seems this path involves a hims certified psychiatrist & psychologist evaluation as well as likely recommendations for aftercare and monitoring. First question is this: how much of this could be waived and only reviewed? I ask this because I was in a treatment facility for 12 weeks already a little over a year ago and since then am in a State impaired physician program that has stringent requirements which include several aftercare meetings/appointments as well as 5 years of random drug and etoh screens. I have had roughly 40 negative screens since treatment. The second question is: Since I am assuming a lot of the answers to my first question will depend on a hims psychiatrist review of all my treatment/diagnosis/monitoring..... Where do I find a list of them and have people in my predicament found any of them to be more favorable than others?
Thanks

 

[RJM62]

https://www.faa.gov/pilots/amelocator/

There's a link on that page to HIMS sponsors by state.

Or you could contact Dr. Bruce Chien through his site at http://www.aeromedicaldoc.com/. He's out of Peoria. If he can't help you, he probably can point you in the right direction.

I suppose you could also simply call the FAA and ask if the impaired physician program in which you're already enrolled would satisfy their requirements. The number is (405) 954-4821. I can't think of any practical reason why they wouldn't accept it inasmuch as it incorporates the same things that they would require. But on the other hand, FAA may (and probably does) have a bureaucratic affinity for its own brand; and if you call them, they may become insistent on their own brand. So I think it probably would be better to have a Senior AME approach them with the suggestion of accepting your existing program, rather than doing it yourself.

-Rich

 

[AdamZ]

https://www.faa.gov/pilots/amelocator/

.....

Or you could contact Dr. Bruce Chien through his site at http://www.aeromedicaldoc.com/. He's out of Peoria. If he can't help you, he probably can point you in the right direction.

......

This right here is the best thing you can do. Keep in mind that Bruce while very qualified does not suffer fools well or those that will argue with him or his instructions. There are those who have gotten into major spitting matches with him over the subject of the necessity of the HIMS programs. But short and sweet that won't float with Bruce. I am convinced that he is one of the best out there at what he does. If he tells you you need to do something then you need to do it. Best of luck to you.

 

[frfly172]

What Adam said pretty well covers it ,good luck.

 

[steingar]

Glad you were able to get past you addiction. Opiates aren't easy to kick, and a real trap for health care professionals. Good luck getting back in the air.

 

[Let'sgoflying!]

Good job on staying clean; not easy. Keep at it.

Huge problem in my profession too; we have them literally at our fingertips all day long.

 

[Mason]

Dr. Bruce Chien.

He knows the system inside out.