[Drug using risks screening in primary care patients using the ASSIST test: Cross sectional study]

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Addiction Medicine
• Primary Care Research

Background:

• Risky drug use is a significant public health concern.
• Primary care settings offer opportunities for early detection and intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To estimate risky drug use patterns among primary care patients.
• To identify prevalent substances and demographic differences in drug consumption.

Main Methods:

• A multicentric, descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted.
• The Spanish-validated World Health Organization ASSIST test screened 441 patients (aged 16-100).

Main Results:

• 51.6% of patients exhibited moderate-to-severe risky drug use.
• Most common substances: tobacco (41.7%), alcohol (15.4%), hypnotics (13.7%), cannabis (5.7%).
• Gender differences observed: men higher in alcohol/cannabis use; women higher in hypnotic use. 16% reported polyconsumption.

Conclusions:

• Primary care patients present risks from tobacco, alcohol, hypnotic, and cannabis misuse.
• Hypnotic drug use prevalence was higher than anticipated, warranting attention.