Care of the patient who misuses drugs

Abstract

According to the 2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), an estimated 24.6 million Americans aged 12 or older were current illicit drug users [1]. This represents nearly 10 % of the population aged 12 and older, and primary care providers encounter these patients on a regular basis. Unfortunately, primary care physicians may not feel well prepared to deal with substance abuse due to lack of training, discomfort with the subject, time constraints, and lack of confidence in available treatments [2]. However, patients with substance use disorder can be well cared for using a chronic disease framework that is familiar to most primary care providers.