Table 1 Outline of researcher interaction with recruited practices

• Initial invite / practice recruitment:

 o 149 GPs received written invitation to participate.

 o Invitation outlined: (a) study purpose; (b) remuneration for administrative workload generated; (e) GP / practice requirements on participation and content of the intervention.

 o Sixteen practices were selected to participate in the study

• Practice Visits: Patient recruitment and baseline data collection was completed over a series of four practice visits.

 o Visit 1: Researcher visited practices to outline the study, explain patient recruitment, and provided a resource pack outlining study requirements in greater detail.

 o Visit 2: Researcher facilitated practices to complete a register of patients attending the practice for management of problem drug use.

 o Visit 3: Researcher conducted a detailed review of clinical records of participating patients during the baseline data collection phase. GPs were also asked about each patient’s problem alcohol use and drug use by the researcher.

 o Visit 4: Baseline patient interviews conducted in person or by telephone.

• Three months after the complex intervention had been delivered (see summary box 2), follow-up data was collected (i.e. patient interviews, review of clinical records and GP questionnaires)

• The ‘control group’ received the complex intervention upon completion of follow-up data collection.