DAST-10 — Drug Abuse Screening Test
10-item yes/no questionnaire assessing drug misuse (excluding alcohol and tobacco) in the past 12 months.
Score interpretation
Score 0: No drug problem indicated
→ No intervention required
Score 1–2: Low level of drug problems
→ Brief advice; education on drug risks
Score 3–5: Moderate drug use problems
→ Brief intervention; close monitoring; refer to addiction services
Score 6–8: Substantial drug problems
→ Assessment by addiction specialist; consider structured treatment programme
Score 9–10: Severe drug problems
→ Urgent referral to drug treatment programme; intensive intervention
Interpretation bands for the DAST-10. Apply clinical judgement and local guidance.
References
- Skinner HA. The Drug Abuse Screening Test. Addict Behav. 1982;7(4):363-371.
Related
Curated clinical cross-links plus same-class fallbacks.
- Phenylephrine · Alpha-1 Adrenergic Agonist (Pure Vasoconstrictor)
- Carbimazole · Antithyroid Drug
- Tetracosactide · Synthetic ACTH (short Synacthen test)
- Diclofenac · Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug (NSAID)
- Zopiclone · Non-Benzodiazepine Hypnotic (Z-drug)
- Diclofenac · NSAID (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug)
- Acute Behavioural Disturbance / Rapid Tranquillisation · RCEM 2022; RCPsych 2022; NICE NG10
- Self-Harm Presentation · NICE NG225 (2022)
- Capacity Assessment (Mental Capacity Act) · MCA 2005; Code of Practice
- Acute Psychosis Management · NICE CG178 2014
- Depression Management · NICE CG90 2022
- Lithium Therapy Monitoring · NICE CG185
Decision support only — verify against a current formulary, NICE, or your local guideline before clinical use.