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[Benzodiazepine and Z-drug consumption in a national social security organization in Argentina: rational or excessive
Gustavo Marin1, Julieta Del Mauro2, Lupe Marin3
1Doctor en Medicina. Profesor Titular, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de la Plata, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto Obra Social de las Fuerzas Armadas y de Seguridad. Buenos Aires, Argentina. gmarin2009@gmail.com.
Abstract:
Benzodiazepines and "Z-drugs" (BZD/Z) are overprescribed in many countries. This study evaluates their consumption in a social security sector health insurance provider with national coverage in Argentina. With a descriptive and observational approach, outpatient dispensations of BZD/Zs were analyzed for people over 18 years old from April 2020 to March 2021, disaggregated by sex, age, active ingredient, and half-life. An annual prevalence of use of 11.6% was found among the 431,445 adult affiliates, with higher rates in women and in those over age 60. Overall consumption of BZD/Zs was 77.6 defined daily doses (DDD) per 1000 enrollee-days. The average user received 5.1 annual dispensations and the equivalent of 1.4 DDD for each day of the year. BZD/Zs with long half-life were the most used. We found high levels of BZD/Z consumption and for longer periods than recommended. It is necessary to improve the quality of consumption and reduce the negative impact of inappropriate use of these drugs among treated individuals.