Characteristics of physicians who frequently prescribe long-acting benzodiazepines for the elderly

Long-acting benzodiazepines (LABZs) are relatively contraindicated for elderly patients because they increase the risk of impaired cognitive function, falls, and hip fractures. The purpose of this study was to identify the characteristics of physicians who frequently prescribe LABZs for elderly patients. The authors examined the prescribing profile of 4,976 physicians who saw at least 20 elderly Quebec medicare registrants in 1990. Physicians who frequently prescribed LABZs for their elderly patients were more likely to have graduated before 1979, to be general practitioners as opposed to specialists, to practice in long-term care settings, and to have graduated from a medical school in Quebec as opposed to other schools in Quebec, in other provinces, or in other countries. The authors have identified several characteristics of physicians who frequently prescribed LABZs for the elderly. Strategies to improve prescribing in this field should target this group of physicians.