La controversia científico-técnica sobre las benzodiacepinas en profesionales de la salud pública de Uruguay

Abstract

The international technoscientific controversy on benzodiazepines, especially intense during the 1980s and 1990s, questioned the place of benzodiazepines in clinical practice because of its addictive potentiality and the abuse of physicians and patients. This article presents some results from a research that aimed to analyze the role of benzodiazepine controversy in medical, psychiatric and psychological practices in Uruguayan public health services. This research methodology was qualitative, combining a review of national academic articles (1960-2012), in-depth interviews with 45 professionals and two discussion groups. Content analysis was carried out using four axes: anxiety in clinic practice, prescription, relationship between pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic treatment, and benzodiazepines valoration. We obtained a diachronic pictures of the academic controversy and we identified a conditional assessment of these medicines made by the professionals. This assessment implies: the recognition of positive and negative attributes of benzodiazepines, a controlled use of benzodazepines, and professionals and patients that must watch their own behaviors. We conclude that the controversy is presented mainly in individual terms, and this prevents a global discussion on the political and collective dimensions involved.