This Advisory, based on TIP 49, Incorporating Alcohol Pharmacotherapies Into Medical Practice, focuses on medication and related treatment decisions made after screening and assessment for AUD, and medically supervised withdrawal, if necessary. Alcohol consumption should not stop abruptly in those patients who have consumed alcohol regularly over a prolonged period of time. This Advisory is meant as an overview of AUD medications to facilitate abstinence.

This manual guides clinicians through stages of primary care for alcohol and substance misuse in adult patients. It discusses warning signs of misuse, screening and follow-up, brief intervention, assessment, treatment models, and legal issues. It includes four screening tools.

This advisory answers questions about the seriousness of prescription drug misuse. It explains how people become dependent on prescription drugs, and treatment options. The advisory also offers necessary treatment resources for professionals.

This manual guides counselors in the use of medications to help clients achieve abstinence from alcohol. It describes how the medications work and whom may benefit. It also presents the side effects of three FDA-approved medications: acamprosate, disulfiram, and naltrexone.