Assessment and screening for substance abuse: guidelines for the primary care nurse practitioner

In ambulatory care settings, NPs can expect to encounter numerous patients who have had or currently have an alcohol and/or other drug problem. In addition, a large number of patients are estimated to have an undetected or undiagnosed problem. This article presents guidelines for the assessment and screening of patients abusing alcohol and other drugs. History-taking, screening instruments, physical examination, and commonly used biological markers/laboratory tests are described. Brief intervention techniques and referral resources are also discussed.