Pharmacoepidemiology of potential alcohol-prescription drug interactions among primary care patients with alcohol-use disorders.
OBJECTIVE
To report on the proportion of individuals with alcohol-use disorders who take prescription medications that could interact with alcohol and on the proportion who recall advice to avoid alcohol with their medications.


METHODS
Secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial of telephone counseling.


METHODS
18 primary care practices in south-central and southeastern Wisconsin.


METHODS
897 adults with alcohol-use disorders as identified by systematic survey.


METHODS
Telephone and mail survey.


METHODS
Patient-reported prescription medication use, potential for alcohol-drug interactions according to DrugDex, and patient-reported receipt of advice not to take alcohol with their medications.


RESULTS
Of the 869 patients who provided usable information on prescription medication use, 348 (40.0%) were taking medications with alcohol interactions or proscriptions; the most frequently reported were bupropion, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, and various acetaminophen-containing compounds. Slightly more than 20% of patients were taking medications with moderate to severe alcohol interactions; over one-third of these 184 patients did not recall advice to avoid alcohol.


CONCLUSIONS
Practitioners who prescribe or dispense medications may need to enhance their efforts to advise patients about alcohol-drug interactions. Prescribing and dispensing medications that interact with alcohol present opportunities to administer alcohol screens and interventions.
Brown
Richard L
RL
Department of Family Medicine, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53719, USA. rlbrown@wisc.edu
Dimond
Alan R
AR
Hulisz
Darrell
D
Saunders
Laura A
LA
Bobula
James A
JA
D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D019973:Alcohol-Related Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D000075202:Contraindications; D003625:Data Collection; D004347:Drug Interactions; D000431:Ethanol; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations; D017891:Pharmacoepidemiology; D011320:Primary Health Care; D014922:Wisconsin / Q000453:epidemiology
D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations; D000431:Ethanol