Challenge of long-term benzodiazepine use in primary care: insights from a real-world cohort study in Catalonia.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Long-term use of benzodiazepines (BZD) triggers health problems. Although Spain leads European use of BZD, the number of long-term users (LTUs) remains unknown.

Objective

The aim of the study is to estimate the proportion of primary care (PC) patients who initiate a BDZ prescription that subsequently become LTU and to identify its associated factors.

Design

Retrospective real-world data cohort.

Setting and participant

It included the population over 15 years with a new prescription of BZD in PC in Catalonia. Users were considered LTU if they had been dispensed at least three prescriptions within 3 months. Sociodemographic characteristics of patients and prescribers, pathologies, previous BZD use, number and type of visits, and prescription quality

SUBMITTER: Penarrubia-Maria MT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12315019 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature