[Hypnotic drugs in a population. Prescriptions by the specialist and the general practitioner]

The aims of our survey were to estimate the prevalence of hypnotic drug prescription in a representative sample of population in 5 cities of Northern Italy and to analyse the pattern of prescription of these drugs by general practitioners (GPs) and psychiatrists. The data were collected with the collaboration of pharmacists working in 145 pharmacies. All consecutive patients presenting a prescription for a hypnotic drug were interviewed by the pharmacists during a two-week period. The pharmacists interviewed 7744 consecutive patients. The highest prevalence of prescriptions for hypnotic drugs was found in the elderly and in women. The majority of prescriptions were for benzodiazepines (BDZ), with lorazepam and triazolam accounting for about 50% of the total prescriptions. Short-acting and ultra-short-acting BDZ were more frequently prescribed for sleep induction by GPs than by psychiatrists. Approximately 73% of subjects reported that they had been taking the prescribed drug for one year or more. The high proportion of long-term BDZ users may be a consequence of the short period surveyed, which produced data weighted toward long-term consumption. Our data, however, do not permit to establish whether long-term use is appropriate from a clinical point of view or is the consequence of a physical dependence. We must be aware that this practice needs to be studied more accurately, with the aim to assess the risk/benefit ratio of long-term BDZ use.