USPSTF Releases New Recommendations for Illicit Drug Use Prevention

The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has released a new Draft Recommendation Statement on primary care interventions for illicit drug use in children, adolescents, and young adults.

The new statement updates the group’s 2014 statement regarding interventions for children and adolescents. In the 2014 guidance, the USPSTF concluded that there was insufficient evidence to evaluate the benefits and harms of primary care-based counseling interventions for illicit drug use.

To update the recommendations, the USPSTF commissioned a systematic evidence review to evaluate current available data on the benefits and harms of interventions for the prevention of illicit drug use in children, adolescents, and young adults. “Illicit drug use” refers not only to illegal drugs but also to prescription drugs taken for nonmedical purposes as well as household items.

Individuals who regularly use illicit drugs or have been diagnosed with a substance use disorder are outside of the scope of the recommendation. 

After a review of 28 studies including 17,482 participants, the USPSTF wrote the following recommendation:

The current evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of primary care–based behavioral counseling interventions to prevent or reduce illicit drug use, including nonmedical use of prescription drugs, in children, adolescents, and young adults (Grade: I).

The new statement is open to public comment until October 28, 2019.

—Michael Potts

Reference:

USPSTF. Draft recommendation statement: illicit drug use in children, adolescents, and young adults: primary care–based interventions. https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/Page/Document/draft-recommendation-statement/illicit-and-nonmedical-prescription-drug-use-in-children-and-adolescents-primary-care-interventions. Published October 1, 2019. Accessed October 2, 2019.