Implementation of marijuana and drug screening with depression and alcohol screening: results from a pilot study integrating behavioral health screening into routine primary care

Abstract

Background Routine primary care screening for depression and alcohol use is widely recommended. Benefits of screening for marijuana and drug use are less clear, but might identify patients whose drug use complicates their health. As a result, leaders of a large integrated healthcare system in a U.S. state, where recreational marijuana use was recently legalized, implemented screening for marijuana and drug use as part of a pilot of behavioral health integration in primary care. The objective is to describe the prevalence of screening and further assessment of marijuana and drug use compared to depression and alcohol misuse during early implementation.