Factors associated with long-term prescription of benzodiazepine: a retrospective cohort study using a health insurance database in Japan.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

Current clinical guidelines discourage long-term prescription of benzodiazepines and Z-drugs (BZD); however, the practice continues to exist. The aim of this study was to investigate the proportion of long-term BZD prescriptions and its risk factors.

Design

Retrospective cohort study using a health insurance database.

Setting

Japan.

Participants

A total of 86 909 patients were identified as outpatients aged 18 to 65 years who started BZD between 1 October 2012 and 1 April 2015. After excluding patients who underwent surgery on the day of first BZD prescription (n=762) and patients without 8 months follow-up (n=12 103), 74 044 outpatients were analysed.

Main outcome measures

We investigated the proportion of long-term prescriptions for ≥8 month

SUBMITTER: Takano A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6661576 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature