Patients who screen positive for binge drinking or heavy alcohol use should be queried to determine whether they meet the criteria for a diagnosis of AUD (Box 2). The severity of AUD and the specific criteria exhibited can be used to determine the most appropriate treatment approaches to be used. Although patients with mild AUD may benefit from medication, there is a limited amount of evidence on the topic. In view of this and because most RCTs have enrolled participants with moderate or severe AUD, a recent practice guideline36 recommended pharmacotherapy only in patients with AUD that is moderate or severe. In a patient who reports alcohol withdrawal symptoms, the history and severity of withdrawal signs and symptoms should be assessed to determine whether pharmacotherapy is required to treat the withdrawal syndrome.
