Drugs can affect the absorption and metabolism of alcohol, potentially leading to higher BAC and an increased risk of adverse events (264). Conversely, alcohol can alter the pharmacokinetics or pharmacodynamics of concurrently administered medications. In the US, nearly 40% of adults take at least one medication that could interact negatively with alcohol, highlighting the importance of discussing alcohol use when prescribing drugs (265). In the following section, we include the mechanisms of some of the most common alcohol-drug interactions and highlight some medications that pose risks when combined with alcohol (for a more in-depth assessment of this topic, see a recent review in (266). We end this section with drugs that target the metabolism of alcohol with the goal of treating AUD.
