Regular prescriptions for benzodiazepines: A cross-sectional study of outpatients at a university hospital

Abstract

Objective: To investigate 1) the patterns of regular prescriptions for benzodiazepines among department clinics in a university teaching hospital, 2) the effects of patient's characteristics on regular benzodiazepine prescriptions, and 3) the patterns of benzodiazepine prescriptions among department clinics from the perspective of pharmacological half-life. Patients: Patients were 22,099 outpatients (51% female; mean age: 56 years) who were prescribed any drug three or more times. Methods: Cross-sectional study of patient-based data (July 2002 to August 2003) from the database of a computer ordering system at a university hospital. The patterns of regular prescriptions for benzodiazepines were compared among the clinical departments (i.e., 'Internal Medicine', 'Psychiatry', and 'Others'). A logistic regression model was used to assess the effects of patient gender and age, and the clinic visited on the issuing of regular prescriptions for benzodiazepines. Results: Regular benzodiazepine users were 3,204 (14.5%). Benzodiazepines were more likely to be prescribed for women (61.3%) than for men and were prescribed most often by psychiatrists (31.7%), followed by internists (20.1%). Multivairate logistic regression model showed that being female and elderly, and being prescribed by a psychiatrist were significantly associated with regular benzodiazepine prescriptions. With regard to the pharmacological half-life, internists were more likely to prescribe short half-life benzodiazepines than were psychiatrists (p < 0.001). Conclusion: A large number of outpatients at a Japanese university hospital appeared to be maintained on a regular supply of benzodiazepine drugs. Educational programs are needed to promote the rational prescribing of benzodiazepines. © 2006 The Japanese Society of Internal Medicine.