title: Alcohol screening and brief intervention among drug users in primary care: a discussion paper.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Problem alcohol use is common among problem drug users (PDU) and associated with adverse health outcomes. Primary care has an important role in the overall stepped approach to alcohol treatment, especially screening and brief intervention (SBI).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To discuss three themes that emerged from an exploration of the literature on SBI for problem alcohol use in drug users attending primary care.
  
  
  METHODS
  Material for this discussion paper was gathered from three biomedical databases (PubMed, PsycINFO and Cochrane library), conference proceedings and online resources of professional organisations or national health agencies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Themes discussed in this paper are: (a) the potential of primary care for delivery of alcohol SBIs to PDUs, (b) screening methods and (c) application of brief interventions to PDUs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although SBI improves health outcomes associated with problem alcohol use in the general population, further research is needed among high-risk patient groups, especially PDUs.
authors.affiliation: UCD School of Medicine and Medical Science, Coombe Healthcare Centre, Dolphins Barn, Dublin 8, Ireland.
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Field
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Klimas
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Barry
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bury
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Keenan
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lyons
authors.forename: B P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Smyth
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Cullen
mesh_terms: D019973:Alcohol-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D037001:Directive Counseling; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening; D011320:Primary Health Care; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications