ArticleBritish journal of clinical pharmacology2018
Benzodiazepine and Z-drug prescribing in Ireland: analysis of national prescribing trends from 2005 to 2015.
Article in British journal of clinical pharmacology, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 32 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
32 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Brief interventions targeting long-term benzodiazepine and Z-drug use in primary care: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Addiction (Abingdon, England) · 2020Pooled it
- Benzodiazepine Use and Mortality Risk: A Nationwide Cohort Study on New Benzodiazepine Users With a 5-Year Follow-Up.Acta psychiatrica Scandinavica · 2026Article
- Global emergence and γ-aminobutyric acid type A (GABAArchives of toxicology · 2026Article
- Insomnia and the question of psychomotor agitation as a possible cause for zolpidem abuse.Jornal brasileiro de pneumologia : publicacao oficial da Sociedade Brasileira de Pneumologia e Tisilogia · 2026Article
- 'Taking Time' - Extended mental health consultations in a deprived urban general practice: A retrospective descriptive study.PloS one · 2026Article
- Changes in benzodiazepine, z-drug, and other sedative prescribing in primary care in Ireland between 2014 and 2022.Family practice · 2025Article
- Prevalence of potentially inappropriate prescribing in community-dwelling older adults: an application of STOPP/START version 3 to The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA).European geriatric medicine · 2025Article
- Trends in Benzodiazepine and Z-Drug Prescriptions in Eastern China (2015-2021).Alpha psychiatry · 2025Article
- Article
- Consumption of psychotropic drugs in Croatia before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: a 10-year longitudinal study (2012-2021).Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology · 2024Article
- 'We need more support and doctors that understand the process of tapering …': A content analysis of free-text responses to a questionnaire on discontinuing long-term benzodiazepine receptor agonist use.Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2024Article
- Drug Safety and Suicidality Risk of Chronic Pain Medications.Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Review
- Prescription drugs with potential for misuse in Irish prisons: analysis of national prison prescribing trends, by gender and history of opioid use disorder, 2012 to 2020.BMC psychiatry · 2023Article
- Factors affecting clinical pharmacist decision-making when reviewing and prescribing z-drugs in primary care: a qualitative interview study.International journal of clinical pharmacy · 2023Article
- Sedative drug-use in Denmark, 2000 to 2019: a nationwide drug utilization study.Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology · 2023Article
- Article
- Prescribing Z-drugs in Greece: an analysis of the national prescription database from 2018 to 2021.BMC psychiatry · 2023Article
- Ten-Year Trends in Psychotropic Prescribing and Polypharmacy in Australian General Practice Patients with and without Dementia.Journal of clinical medicine · 2023Article
- Trends and patterns of benzodiazepines and Z-drugs prescriptions in Australian general practice: A national study (2011-2018).Drug and alcohol review · 2023Article
- Supporting safe and gradual reduction of long-term benzodiazepine receptor agonist use: Development of the SAFEGUARDING-BZRAs toolkit using a codesign approach.Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
aimsThe aim of this study was to examine prescribing trends for benzodiazepines and Z-drugs to General Medical Services (GMS) patients in Ireland.
methodsA repeated cross-sectional analysis of the national pharmacy claims database was conducted for GMS patients aged ≥16 years from 2005 to 2015. Prescribing rates per 1000 eligible GMS population were calculated with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Negative binomial regression was used to determine longitudinal trends and compare prescribing rates across years, gender and age groups. Duration of supply and rates of concomitant benzodiazepine and Z-drug prescribing were determined. Age (16-44, 45-64, ≥65 years) and gender trends were investigated.
resultsBenzodiazepine prescribing rates decreased significantly from 225.92/1000 population (95% CI 224.94-226.89) in 2005 to 166.07/1000 population (95% CI 165.38-166.75) in 2015 (P < 0.0001). Z-drug prescribing rates increased significantly from 95.36/1000 population (95% CI 94.73-96.00) in 2005 to 109.11/1000 population (95% CI 108.56-109.67) in 2015 (P = 0.048). Approximately one-third of individuals dispensed either benzodiazepines or Z-drugs were receiving long-term prescriptions (>90 days). The proportion of those receiving >1 benzodiazepine and/or Z-drug concomitantly increased from 11.9% in 2005 to 15.3% in 2015. Benzodiazepine and Z-drug prescribing rates were highest for older women (≥65 years) throughout the study period.
conclusionsBenzodiazepine prescribing to the GMS population in Ireland decreased significantly from 2005 to 2015, and was coupled with significant increases in Z-drug prescribing. The study shows that benzodiazepine and Z-drug prescribing is common in this population, with high proportions of individuals receiving long-term prescriptions. Targeted interventions are needed to reduce potentially inappropriate long-term prescribing and use of these medications in Ireland.
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