North Carolina Physicians Health Program was established by North Carolina State Statute 90-21.22. Confidentiality and anonymity are key elements of the program. The names of those reported to North Carolina Physicians Health Program (NCPHP) are carefully guarded. In addition, the anonymity of our sources of information is protected by law – referrals to our program can be made without fear of repercussion.

Read Federal confidentiality statement
Read State confidentiality statement

Program Principles

• Humanitarian concern for the public and the impaired physician or physician assistant
• Recognition that alcoholism, drug abuse, and mental illness among physicians are too often ignored or untreated
• Recognition that alcoholism, drug abuse, and mental illness are treatable conditions and that treatment and rehabilitation personnel with skills in these areas have a good success record
• Encouragement of all impaired physicians to seek help and cooperate in treatment at the earliest possible time in order to retain or regain full effectiveness to practice
• The employment of constructive coercion in order to encourage the impaired individual to obtain necessary assistance when the impairment poses a threat to reasonable delivery of health care
• The employment of legal coercion when all other efforts have failed

The Problem

IMPAIRMENT: The inability to practice medicine with reasonable skill and safety to patients by reason of physical or mental illness, including alcoholism or drug dependence.