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Alcohol - problem drinking - Management
Who should I screen for problem drinking?
- Alcohol screening should be carried out as an integral part of practice in primary care. Consider screening when:
- Registering a new patient.
- Screening for other conditions.
- Managing a chronic disease (for example diabetes, hypertension, or chronic heart disease).
- Carrying out a medicine review.
- If screening everyone is not feasible or practical, focus on people who have an alcohol-related condition or who are at increased risk of harm from alcohol. This includes people:
- With relevant physical conditions (such as hypertension, gastrointestinal disorders, or liver disorders).
- With relevant mental health problems (such as anxiety, depression, or other mood disorders).
- Who have been assaulted.
- At risk of self-harm.
- Who regularly experience accidents or minor traumas.
- Who regularly attend genito-urinary medicine clinics or repeatedly seek emergency contraception.
- Always screen people who make an active call for help, or in whom an alcohol problem is strongly indicated as an incidental finding (see Additional information).
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