Adolescent substance use: the role of the medical home

Given the continued high rates of substance use by adolescents and young adults, it should be among the topics addressed at every health care visit in the medical home. Primary care physicians should counsel and refer parents for substance use assessment, counseling, and cessation management when pediatric or adolescent patients are environmentally exposed to substances and substance use. The role of the medical home includes providing parents, children, and adolescents with anticipatory guidance, drug use screening, health advice, brief intervention, and referral for further assessment and treatment when an SUD is suspected. Clinical and technical reports, policy statements, and educational materials provided by national institutes and health professional societies assist those caring for children and adolescents by assuring best practices in detailed guidance and developmentally appropriate strategies related to alcohol, tobacco, and other substance use across the pediatric age range.