A 21-year Comparative Study of Prescriptions of Benzodiazepines and Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors and Related Drugs in a Japanese University Hospital

Benzodiazepines (BZPs) continue to be widely prescribed in non-psychiatric settings, despite clinical guideline recommendations favouring selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) for the treatment of anxiety and depressive disorders. Long-term, hospital-based evidence comparing these prescribing patterns in Japan remains limited. The study aim was to evaluate long-term trends in BZP prescribing relative to SSRI/SNRI use and to identify factors associated with anxiolytic BZP versus SSRI/SNRI prescriptions.

We conducted a database study of all 16,886,524 prescriptions issued between April 2001 and March 2022 at a tertiary university hospital in Japan. Anxiolytic and hypnotic BZPs, SSRIs, SNRIs, and related antidepressants were identified. The ratio of anxiolytic BZP to SSRI/SNRI prescriptions (B/S ratio) was calculated according to department group. Factors associated with anxiolytic BZP versus SSRI/SNRI prescribing were examined using multiple logistic regression analysis.

Anxiolytic BZP prescriptions accounted for 2.3% of all prescriptions and declined over time, whereas SSRI/SNRI prescriptions (1.4%) remained largely stable throughout the study period. The B/S ratio was consistently higher in internal medicine than in psychiatry, although a gradual reduction was observed over time. Multivariable analysis demonstrated that anxiolytic BZP prescribing was independently associated with the internal medicine department, female sex, outpatient status, younger age, and earlier calendar years.

Despite a temporal decline, anxiolytic BZPs continue to be preferentially prescribed over SSRIs/SNRIs in non-psychiatric settings. These findings underscore persistent gaps between evidence-based recommendations and clinical practice and highlight the need for targeted educational and policy interventions to optimise psychotropic prescribing.