Major Report Finds Screening and Early Intervention Program used in Diverse Health Care Settings Dramatically Reduces Illicit Drug Use Among Patients

The Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) program can reduce illicit drug use among patients seeking medical care in a wide variety of health care settings such as hospitals, physician offices, and community clinics, a study finds.

SBIRT uses a variety of techniques to screen patients seeking medical health for signs of substance abuse. If patients screen positive for a substance abuse problem immediate steps are taken to help the patient effectively deal their problems before they become worse.

The report in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence found rates of illicit drug use dropped by 67.7 percent six months after illicit drug-using patients had received help through a SBIRT program. In addition, heavy alcohol use dropped by 38.6 percent.

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