Using the Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST-10) to analyze health services utilization and cost for substance users in a community-based setting

The dual purpose of this study was to: (1) determine whether problematic dr ug users, defined through the Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST-10), exhibite d differences in health services utilization and cost relative to a combine d group of non-problematic drug users and non-drug users; and (2) assess wh ether the findings were similar to those for chronic drug users (CDUs) and injecting drug users (IDUs). Results showed that health services utilizatio n and total cost were very similar for problematic drug users defined throu gh quantity-frequency (i.e., CDU, IDU) and diagnostic (i.e., DAST-10) crite ria. Findings suggest that quantity/frequency criteria, for problematic dru g use were reasonable approximations for diagnostic-based measures.