Primary care assessment of hazardous and harmful drinkers: a literature review

Abstract

Working with people who misuse alcohol can be demanding and the costs to the National Health Service of dealing with harmful drinkers are acknowledged to be high. This article reinforces a view that the primary healthcare setting can be seen as a key area to influence the hazardous or harmful drinker's behaviour. It is argued that the Specialist Community Alcohol Service is best placed to offer training initiatives to assist colleagues in the primary healthcare setting. This approach could help them to utilize their assessment and other clinical skills to offer brief interventions that can result in either positive behavioural changes or appropriate referral to the Specialist Alcohol Service. This is a way of ensuring a seamless service provision for hazardous and harmful drinkers resulting in a smooth passage through systems designed to identify and treat excessive alcohol consumption at an earlier stage. The early detection of problem drinking within the primary healthcare setting is of great value. General practitioners and practice nurses are ideally placed at the forefront of interaction aimed at earlier detection and treatment of hazardous and harmful drinkers.

• brief intervention
• specialist community alcohol service
• seamless provision
• hazardous/harmful drinkers
• literature review