• Richard L Brown, Alan R Dimond, Darrell Hulisz, Laura A Saunders, and James A Bobula.
• Department of Family Medicine, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53719, USA. rlbrown@wisc.edu
• J Am Pharm Assoc (2003). 2007 Mar 1;47(2):135-9.

ObjectiveTo report on the proportion of individuals with alcohol-use disorders who take prescription medications that could interact with alcohol and on the proportion who recall advice to avoid alcohol with their medications.DesignSecondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial of telephone counseling.Setting18 primary care practices in south-central and southeastern Wisconsin.Patients897 adults with alcohol-use disorders as identified by systematic survey.InterventionTelephone and mail survey.Main Outcome MeasuresPatient-reported prescription medication use, potential for alcohol-drug interactions according to DrugDex, and patient-reported receipt of advice not to take alcohol with their medications.ResultsOf the 869 patients who provided usable information on prescription medication use, 348 (40.0%) were taking medications with alcohol interactions or proscriptions; the most frequently reported were bupropion, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, and various acetaminophen-containing compounds. Slightly more than 20% of patients were taking medications with moderate to severe alcohol interactions; over one-third of these 184 patients did not recall advice to avoid alcohol.ConclusionPractitioners who prescribe or dispense medications may need to enhance their efforts to advise patients about alcohol-drug interactions. Prescribing and dispensing medications that interact with alcohol present opportunities to administer alcohol screens and interventions.

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