One year follow-up of users of benzodiazepines in general practice

The aim of the study was to monitor discontinuation of benzodiazepine prescribing among patients who were either first-time or long-term users. The study was carried out as a one-year follow-up study in general practice in the County of Arhus, Denmark. In all, 201 patients with first-time prescriptions and 607 patients with long-term prescriptions participated, and in the one-year follow-up period 55% and 12%, respectively, stopped having further prescriptions of benzodiazepines or other psychotropic drugs. Older first-time users continued significantly more often than younger. In an age and sex-stratified analysis, users of benzodiazepine hypnotics/sedatives continued significantly more often than users of benzodizepine tranquillizers among first-time users (odds ratio (OR) 2.15) as well as long-term users (OR: 2.16). Continuation of long-term use was significantly correlated with the female sex (OR: 1.71), living alone (OR: 1.97), daily use (OR: 4.17), high amounts of defined daily doses (DDD) per prescription, and a high ratio between prescribed daily dose and DDD.