What is it about?
For 50 years policymakers have hyped benzodiazepine (BZ) harms. Our editorial in the American Journal of Psychiatry on a study, N of 1 million, 10 yrs shows only 0.3% long-term dose escalators. We show that restricting BZRA prescriptions harm patients especially vulnerable patients.
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Why is it important?
A 50 year discriminatory anti-benzodiazepine movement alleged that these drugs lead to long term use and misuse. This is now debunked by a large study in Denmark (N equals about 1 million). Many patients with chronic psychiatric conditions and seizures have suffered as a result of policies that aimed to restrict BZRA prescriptions. Blunt policy instruments such regulatory prescription surveillance, or outright drug coverage restrictions of all benzodiazepinesto reduce both appropriate and problematic care and can harm health outcomes especially in vulnerable patients.
Perspectives
Alarmist narratives about BZRAs have likely harmed patients. Discourse about risks of these drugs should have been based on robust designs adequately controlling for biases.
Prof. Stephen B Soumerai
Harvard Medical School
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Setting the Record Straight on Long-Term Use, Dose Escalation, and Potential Misuse of Prescription Benzodiazepines, American Journal of Psychiatry, March 2024, American Psychiatric Association,
DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.20240030.
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