Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 12, 2026

High-Throughput Small Molecule Drug Screening For Age-Related Sleep Disorders Using Drosophila melanogaster
Published on: October 20, 2023
Benzodiazepine prescribing in elderly Australian general practice patients
Alice Windle1, Elizabeth Elliot, Katherine Duszynski
1Discipline of Public Health, University of Adelaide, South Australia. alice.windle@optusnet.com.au
Objective:
The use of benzodiazepines by elderly people is of limited therapeutic benefit and increases the risk of adverse events. This study aimed to examine the extent to which benzodiazepines are prescribed for elderly Australians.
Methods:
Data for 3,970 individuals aged 65 years or more were extracted from a general practice database. Benzodiazepine prescriptions for 2002 were reviewed.
Results:
Overall, 16% (95% CI 11-21%) of elderly patients had at least one benzodiazepine prescription. Females were almost twice as likely as males to be prescribed a benzodiazepine and prescription prevalence increased with age.
Conclusions:
Despite risks, benzodiazepines are widely prescribed for the elderly. Limited availability and cost of alternative therapies and pressures on the primary care system in Australia may contribute to their continued overuse.
Implications:
The prescribing of benzodiazepines for elderly Australians needs to be reduced by better managing sleep and anxiety problems.
Related Concept Videos
Drug Dosing: Geriatric Patients
Pharmacodynamics in Geriatric Patients: Effects of Age
Pharmacokinetics in Geriatric Patients: Effect of Age on Drug Distribution
Anxiolytic Drugs: Benzodiazepines and Buspirone
Sedatives and Hypnotics Drugs: Benzodiazepines
Benzodiazepines work by enhancing the effects of the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA. They bind to the GABAA receptor, increasing its affinity for GABA, which opens chloride...
Pharmacokinetics in Geriatric Patients: Effect of Age on Drug Absorption