Niamh Ryder|William R. Cullen|Joseph Barry|Gerard Bury|Eamon Keenan|Bobby P Smyth
Prevalence of problem alcohol use among patients attending primary care for methadone treatment
Coombe Women & Infants University Hospital|Coombe Women & Infants University Hospital|Trinity College Dublin|Coombe Women & Infants University Hospital|Health Service Executive|Trinity College Dublin
abstract background problem alcohol use associated adverse health outcomes among current former heroin users primary care providing methadone treatment increasing numbers population study aimed todetermine prevalence problem alcohol use among current former heroin users attending primary care methadone treatment describe sociodemographic characteristics health service utilisation characteristics associated problem alcohol uses methods conducted cross sectional survey patients sampled national database patients attending general practice methadone treatment participants recruited general practitioner data collected using intervieweradministered questionnaire included alcohol use disorders identification test audit score gt7 considered abnormal ie audit positive cases sociodemographic medical substance use characteristics results interviewed 196 patients 71 invited 31 sampled 11 national database median age 32 years 55 hepatitis c positive 79 used illicit drugs previous month 68 male sixtyeight audit positive cases identified prevalence 35 95 ci 2841 likely attended local emergency department previous year p lt 005 less likely attended hospital clinic previous year p lt 005 twentyseven 14 scored 20 higher indicating possible alcohol dependence conclusion problem alcohol use high prevalence among current former heroin users attending primary care methadone treatment interventions address issue explored priority interventions address problem alcohol use population considered priority although complex medical psychological needs population may make challenging