{
  "schema_version": 1,
  "kind": "condition",
  "id": "drug-abuse",
  "name": "Drug Abuse (Substance Use Disorder)",
  "category": "chronic",
  "sources": "ICPC-3 (WONCA International Classification of Primary Care, 3rd edition) class PS16 - condition scope only, no dose · No dose - referral pathway, no medicine given in primary care · Opioid Use Disorder: Evaluation and Management - StatPearls (NCBI Bookshelf NBK553166) - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK553166/",
  "review_status": "reviewed",
  "verified_against": "No dose - referral pathway, no medicine given in primary care · Drug Abuse (Substance Use Disorder) - disease-level clinical article (drug-abuse-clinical.txt)",
  "verified_date": "2026-08",
  "treatments": [
    {
      "id": 633,
      "generic": "No drug therapy in primary care (Referral & Advice)",
      "line": 1,
      "is_adjunct": false,
      "form": null,
      "strength_mg": null,
      "adult_dose": "Use of a dependence-producing psychoactive substance causing intoxication, harmful use, dependence, or withdrawal; the GP's role is screening, harm-reduction advice, and referral to an addiction service for structured treatment, since substitution or withdrawal therapy needs specialist supervision.",
      "adult_duration": "Refer, with advice",
      "dose_source": "No dose - referral pathway, no medicine given in primary care",
      "rationale": "Use of a dependence-producing psychoactive substance causing intoxication, harmful use, dependence, or withdrawal; the GP's role is screening, harm-reduction advice, and referral to an addiction service for structured treatment, since substitution or withdrawal therapy needs specialist supervision.",
      "cautions": [
        "No medicine is prescribed for this in primary care - this entry is for recognition and referral. Anything given is decided by the service it is referred to.",
        "RED FLAG - Substance intoxication can cause severe behavioral disruptions and suicidal tendencies.",
        "RED FLAG - Cocaine intoxication can lead to acute myocardial ischemia, psychosis, and fatal arrhythmias.",
        "RED FLAG - Overdose with reduced consciousness or slow breathing is an emergency; consider naloxone if an opioid overdose is suspected. Signs of withdrawal such as agitation, autonomic instability or seizures, and injecting drug use with its bloodborne infection risk, also need urgent referral."
      ],
      "peds_mgkg_low": null,
      "peds_mgkg_high": null,
      "peds_max_mg": null,
      "peds_basis": null,
      "peds_unit": null,
      "peds_note": "Children follow the same pathway: recognise and refer. No primary-care medicine is implied.",
      "peds_min_weight_kg": null,
      "peds_max_weight_kg": null,
      "peds_age_min_months": null,
      "peds_age_max_months": null,
      "peds_age_bands": null,
      "peds_doses": null,
      "brands": [],
      "condition_id": "drug-abuse"
    }
  ]
}