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I sometimes have patients who ask me to fill out forms indicating it is ok for them to possess or conceal carry a firearm in my state. Sometimes I get patients who are law enforcement officers ask me to fill out forms from their employer asking if my patient can carry a firearm and be relied upon to respond quickly and safely to dangerous high stress situations with that firearm. I forget the exact wording, but that's the gist of it. Unfortunately, I had one patient get suspended from her law enforcement job without pay by her employer because I wouldn't fill out such a form. Eventually she found a private therapist who happily did.
My personal policy is to refuse to fill out these forms for anyone, not because of any political stance regarding guns, and not because it takes time, but because I don't trust any patient to always do the right thing with a firearm, especially given that they have complex mental illness. I don't see many "worried well" patients that a primary care clinician would feel comfortable treating in my clinic. I tell patients it isn't personal, but I don't fill out such paperwork for anyone for medico-legal liability reasons.
I'm curious how other psychiatrists approach the issue. Am I being too rigid in my approach?
My personal policy is to refuse to fill out these forms for anyone, not because of any political stance regarding guns, and not because it takes time, but because I don't trust any patient to always do the right thing with a firearm, especially given that they have complex mental illness. I don't see many "worried well" patients that a primary care clinician would feel comfortable treating in my clinic. I tell patients it isn't personal, but I don't fill out such paperwork for anyone for medico-legal liability reasons.
I'm curious how other psychiatrists approach the issue. Am I being too rigid in my approach?
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