Determine whether and how primary health care workers (PHCW) provide alcohol screening and brief interventions (SBI) and assess their interest in improving.

A questionnaire built built on WHO recommendations for alcohol prevention and harm reduction in primary health care was distributed to 130 primary health care workers (26.9% doctors, 73.1% nurses) in family medicine and emergency medicine departments in the Primary Health Care Facility Doboj.

The participation rate was 61% (79/130), of which 28 (35%) doctors and 51 (65%) nurses answered the questionnaire. 3 (10.7%) doctors and 3 (5.9%) nurses provide alcohol screening always, 15 (53.6%) doctors and 22 (43.1%) nurses sometimes, while 10 (35.7%) doctors and 25 (49%) nurses never do alcohol screening. None of the PHCW uses AUDIT, 1 uses CAGE, and others use clinical screening procedures. 12 (42.9%) doctors and 40 (78%) nurses never provide brief interventions. 22 (28%) PHCW are interested in providing alcohol screening, while 20 (71.4%) doctors and 15 (29.4%) nurses are interested in improving their SBI skills.

Primary health care workers do not provide routinely alcohol screening and brief interventions aimed at prevention and reduction of alcohol related problems. Those who do provide SBI do not follow WHO recommendations. There is a certain interest to improve, but the fact that 39% PHCW did not even answer the questionnaire is indicative. Motivation, training on SBI and follow-up of PHCW are needed.