Substance Abuse
November 3, 2020We’re taking a look at substance abuse, its definition, criteria, and the differences between use and dependence. This is the code range for the conditions related to substance abuse:
ICD-10 Code |
Description |
F10.10-F10.19 |
Alcohol abuse |
F11.10-F11.19 |
Opioid abuse |
F12.10-F12.19 |
Cannabis abuse |
F13.10-F13.19 |
Sedative, hypnotic or anxiolytic abuse |
F14.10-F14.19 |
Cocaine abuse |
F15.10-F15.19 |
Other stimulant abuse |
F16.10-F16.19 |
Hallucinogen abuse |
F18.10-F18.19 |
Inhalant abuse |
F19.10-F19.19 |
Other psychoactive substance abuse |
Psychoactive substance abuse is the use of any substance for nontherapeutic purposes or the use of medication for purposes other than what it’s prescribed for, such as:
- Use of illicit drugs, like cocaine
- Misuse of prescribed drugs that stimulate or depress the central nervous system, like amphetamines or barbiturates
- Habitual use of substances that are commercially available with desired effects, like alcohol
The Differences Between Use and Dependence
Substance Use |
Dependence |
When a psychoactive substance is used to treat a behavioral or mental health disorder. For documentation purposes, psychoactive substance use must be linked to a mental health or behavioral disorder by a provider. |
ICD-10 coding guidelines identify 3 criteria for a definite diagnosis of dependence:
|
ICD-10 coding guidelines also define a hierarchy of reportable psychoactive substance use, abuse, and dependence code designations. When multiple terms (use, abuse, and dependence) are found in provider documentation, only one ICD-10 code should be reported:
- If use and abuse are documented, report only the code for abuse.
- If use and dependence are documented, report only the code for dependence.
- If abuse and dependence are documented, report only the code for dependence.
- If use, abuse, and dependence are all documented, report only the code for dependence.
ICD-10-CM Expert for Physicians
McGraw-Hill concise dictionary of modern medicine ©2002