Characteristics of benzodiazepine long-term users: investigation of benzodiazepine consumers among pharmacy customers

Abstract

A sample of 171 benzodiazepine (bzd) users was investigated in the pharmacy where the patients filled in their prescriptions. Of the sample, 29.8% were males and 70.2% were females. About 60% of the patients had their current prescription from a general practitioner, the rest from different specialists. 70.8% stated to take bzds on more than 3 days of the week. The mean duration of intake of the entire sample was 4.5 years. The most frequent reasons for bzd intake were sleep disturbance followed by nervousness and somatic diseases. A total of 74.9% of the patients turned out to be well informed about the potential dependence hazards of bzd long term intake, but less than half of them had been informed by the prescribing physician. In a second step it could be demonstrated by means of multiple stepwise logistic regression analysis that certain characteristic parameters differentiate long-term users and persons with signs of potential abuse and dependence from other bzd users.

Sleep quality and the use of benzodiazepine hypnotics in general practice

“…Some users of benzodiazepines would like to stop taking them (8), many due to awareness of their dependence potential (8-10). However, most patients consider their drugs to be useful (10, 11) and in one survey 75% were angry or upset by the suggestion that they should stop (8).…”

Magic bullets for insomnia? Patients' use and experiences of newer (Z drugs) versus older (benzodiazepine) hypnotics for sleep problems in primary care

“…This is partly explained by an increasing population, with an average growth per year of 0.4-0.5% since 1991 and an increasing proportion of older people. 8 Previous research has documented the attitudes of patients and doctors to benzodiazepines, [9][10][11][12][13][14][15] but little has so far been published about their perceptions or experiences of Z drugs, either alone or compared with benzodiazepine hypnotics. Studies of benzodiazepine hypnotics have shown that patients believe that they are more effective and safer than do doctors.…”

Rational Use of Benzodiazepines in the Elderly

“…Only 11 % of hypnotic users (Mellinger et al 1985) and 15% of anxiolytic users (Mellinger et al 1984) admitted daily use for 1 year or longer. The long term user ofbenzodiazepines is most commonly an older adult with multiple physical health problems and in moderate psychiatric distress (Barnas et al 1991;Mellinger et al 1984;Rodrigo et al 1988). Data from these surveys, prescription databases (Woods et al 1987) and pharmacies ) are remarkably consistent in demonstrating that older adults, not stereotypical 'drug abusers', receive multiple repeat prescriptions for anxiolytics and hypnotics.…”