Table 1

Summary characteristics and outcomes of alcohol reduction interventions (further details are presented in online supplementary files 2–8)

				AUDIT total scores			FAST total scores
Study ID	Study characteristics	Description	Baseline behaviour	Mean change from baseline*	95% CI	N	Mean change from baseline*	SD	N	Global quality rating†	Effectiveness‡	Cost-effectiveness	Differential effects§
Dhital et al27	Design: RCT Duration: 12 weeks¶ Country: UK Number of pharmacies: 16 Number of participants: 407 Mean age: I:39.6; C: 40.5 % female: I: 47.8; C: 43.6	Brief alcohol advice	AUDIT Scores: 11.93 (SD 3.24)	−0.11	−0.82 to 0.61	168				Strong	↔	NR	NR
Dhital et al27		Usual care control	AUDIT Scores: 11.53 (SD 3.19)	−0.74 p=0.24	−1.47 to 0.00	158				Strong	↔	NR	NR
Watson and Stewart28	Design: RCT Duration: 26 weeks Country: UK Number of Pharmacies : 20 Number of participants: 69 Mean age: NR % female: I: 48.1; C: 57.1	Brief alcohol advice	FAST score ≥3: 29.2%				2.25 0.50	3.20 0.71	4M 2F	Weak	↔	Cost analysis only	NR
Watson and Stewart28		Usual care control	FAST score ≥3: 24.6%				−1.25 0.75 NS	2.87 1.67	4M 8F	Weak	↔	Cost analysis only	NR

*p Values were extracted directly from the study papers and relate to between group differences.
†Global rating: ‘strong’=no ‘weak’ ratings, ‘moderate’=one ‘weak’ rating and ‘weak’=two or more ‘weak’ ratings.
‡Effectiveness was assessed using between group differences.
§Differential effects: age, gender, ethnicity or socioeconomic status (education, income, occupation, social class, deprivation or poverty).
¶From baseline to last follow-up.
↑, intervention effective; ↓, intervention not effective; ↔, no statistically significant between group difference; AUDIT, Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test; C, control group; F, female; FAST, Fast Alcohol Screening Tool; I, intervention group; M, male; NR, not reported; NS, non-significant; RCT, randomised controlled trial.