Benzodiazepine use and abuse in Canada

Area of Science:

• Pharmacology
• Public Health
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Benzodiazepines are widely prescribed medications.
• The extent of benzodiazepine use in Canada was previously undescribed.
• Understanding usage patterns is crucial for assessing patient exposure and risk-benefit profiles.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the trends in benzodiazepine sales in Canada from 1978 to 1987.
• To analyze the changes in use of rapidly versus slowly eliminated benzodiazepines.
• To compare Canadian benzodiazepine use with other Western countries.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of national benzodiazepine sales data from 1978 to 1987.
• Data expressed as defined daily doses (DDD) per 1000 inhabitants per day.
• Comparison of usage patterns with international data and correlation with abuse patterns.

Main Results:

• Benzodiazepine use was stable at 33 DDD/1000 inhabitants/day until 1983, then increased to 48 DDD/1000 inhabitants/day by 1987.
• Use of slowly eliminated benzodiazepines decreased, while rapidly eliminated benzodiazepines increased linearly.
• Canada showed the second-lowest total benzodiazepine use among several Western countries during 1978-83.
• A strong correlation was observed between the patterns of use and abuse of rapidly eliminated benzodiazepines (1978-84).

Conclusions:

• Benzodiazepine consumption in Canada demonstrated a notable increase in the latter half of the 1980s.
• The shift towards rapidly eliminated benzodiazepines warrants attention due to potential correlations with abuse.
• Drug sales data can be effectively monitored and linked to clinical information to understand drug use and related illnesses.