The effect of becoming a physician on prescription drug use

There is evidence that physicians suffer disproportionately from substance use disorders, but no clear understanding of whether the phenomenon is causal. This column uses data from Dutch medical school applicants to examine the effects of becoming a physician on prescription drug use. Leveraging variation from lottery outcomes that determine admission into medical schools, it finds that the choice to become a physician – as opposed to individual-level traits such as personality, intelligence, or perseverance – increases the use of antidepressants, opioids, anxiolytics, and sedatives, especially for women.