Managing the heavy drinker in primary care

doi:10.1136/dtb.2000.38860

Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin 2000;38:60-64; doi:10.1136/dtb.2000.38860

Managing the heavy drinker in primary care

Relevant BNF sections: 4.1.2, 4.10, 9.6.2

Estimates suggest that over 9 million adults in Britain drinkalcohol at levels that could endanger their long-term health,^1,2and each year, in England and Wales alone, around 28,000 dieprematurely from physical diseases, accidents and suicides relatedto alcohol use.^3,4 The cost to the NHS of treating alcohol-relatedillness or injury may be as much as £400 million per year,⁵and the wider costs to society are very much greater. GPs arewell placed to identify patients who drink heavily. In thisarticle, we discuss what part the primary healthcare team canplay in the management of heavy drinkers.