These recommendations are in line with those made by the National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse [Raistrick et al, 2006] and the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) [SIGN, 2003]. Assisted withdrawal in primary care is not covered by current guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) concerning alcohol misuse [NICE, 2010a; NICE, 2010c]. However, this issue will be addressed in the forthcoming NICE clinical guideline Alcohol-use disorders: diagnosis and clinical management of harmful drinking and alcohol dependence, due to be published in January 2011 [NICE, 2010e].

• Not all people who are dependent on alcohol require assisted withdrawal with drugs. People with milder symptoms of moderate dependence are less likely to suffer withdrawal symptoms, and these can usually be identified by their pattern of drinking. Complications are rare in this group, with success rates of 80–90%, many of whom do not need medication.
• To provide the best chance of recovery, the person with alcohol dependence not only requires detoxification, but also needs continued psychosocial intervention and support. This care should be provided by trained specialists with input from the person's own primary health care team.