According to recent reports received by the Australian Medical Association (AMA), young doctors are consuming energy drinks and caffeine tablets to stay awake during a long stretch of working hours.

The stage government has been called by the WA branch of the AMA to ensure that doctors are not suffering from overwork just to try to fulfill the 'four hour rule'.

David Mountain, state president says that overworked and tired doctors on energy boosters are putting their patients at risk and this is concerning, and it need the support of the WA government to deal with this issue.

A number of young doctors do work at very long strenuous hours, and the risks of negligence and other errors are there.

Mr Mountain said, There are clearly some shifts that junior doctors are doing that are very long and arduous.

He calls for the right staffing and funding arrangements to be set in place to make sure that the four hour rule is being met without compromising the health of both doctors and patients.

The investigation of the claims of overworked doctors on caffeine boost will be investigated, said Kim Hames, the Health Minister.

Mr Hames said, Young doctors shouldn't be taking tablets and shouldn't have to be doing that sort of shifts so I'm surprised I have to say to hear that there's some suggestion that they might be and I'll just have to make sure that they're not doing that.

While caffeine pills do provide a few hours of alertness, the danger does come when doctors get used to taking them at the first sign of tiredness which can lead to increase use that is health-compromising.

Medicine Energy