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The journal of behavioral health services & research
Mar 24, 2025;

Primary Care Visit Frequency Is Associated With Diagnosis But Not Pharmacotherapy Prescribing for Patients With Alcohol Use Disorder : AUD Pharmacotherapy Prescribing in Primary Care.

Ruth A Bishop, Ralph Ward, Andrew Schreiner, Jenna L McCauley, William P Moran, Sarah Ball
Author Information
  1. Ruth A Bishop: Department of Internal Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA. bishopru@musc.edu. ORCID
  2. Ralph Ward: Department of Public Health Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
  3. Andrew Schreiner: Department of Internal Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
  4. Jenna L McCauley: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
  5. William P Moran: Department of Internal Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
  6. Sarah Ball: Department of Internal Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
PMID: 40128470 DOI: 10.1007/s11414-025-09942-6

Abstract

Primary care has been proposed as an ideal setting for the management of Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD); however, there is limited research on the diagnosis and prescribing patterns of medications for Alcohol Use Disorder (MAUD) within primary care. This retrospective study aims to determine whether primary care engagement is associated with the likelihood of an AUD diagnosis or prescription of MAUD. Analyzing administrative claims data from a statewide cohort of 10,138 Medicaid enrollees, only 5.9% of patients diagnosed with AUD were prescribed MAUD (including naltrexone, acamprosate, disulfiram, and topiramate). patients with higher levels of primary care visit frequency were significantly more likely to carry an AUD diagnosis (p < .0001); however, primary care visit frequency was not associated with prescription of MAUD. This study highlights the underutilization of MAUD within primary care, and the need for research identifying successful strategies to address barriers to prescribing MAUD in this setting.

Keywords

AUD Alcohol use disorder MAUD Medicaid Medication for alcohol use disorder

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