ArticleJournal of the American Geriatrics Society2024
Evaluation of a benzodiazepine deprescribing quality improvement initiative for older adults in primary care.
Article in Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed, 6 citations in OpenAlex.
- Double Jeopardy: Risks of Opioid-Benzodiazepine Co-prescription in Older Adults with Gastrointestinal Cancer.Annals of surgical oncology · 2026Article
- Risk perception, attitudes, and quality of life in a multicomponent benzodiazepine deprescription strategy.Exploratory research in clinical and social pharmacy · 2025Article
- Development of a Brief Mindfulness-Informed Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy Intervention to Pair With Pharmacist-Led Benzodiazepine Tapering for Older Adults: The CSTARS Intervention.Basic & clinical pharmacology & toxicology · 2025Article
- Benzos (as) needed: research into as-needed and intermittent benzodiazepines for anxiety is required for comprehensive best prescribing practices.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2025Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundOlder adults are commonly prescribed long-term benzodiazepines for anxiety and insomnia despite evidence of risks and limited evidence of long-term benefits. Recent quality measures and guidelines have recommended benzodiazepine deprescribing, yet there is little real-world data on clinic-based deprescribing programs.
methodsWe developed a benzodiazepine deprescribing quality improvement program for older adults at a large US academic medical center. The program targeted adults aged 65 years and older who were prescribed chronic benzodiazepines by their primary care physician (PCP). PCPs were contacted to opt-out patients not suitable for deprescribing; then eligible patients were mailed a letter discussing patient-specific risks and advising them to discuss deprescribing with their PCP or a pharmacist who was available to support tapering. The primary outcomes were the number of patients who discussed deprescribing and who initiated a taper within 90 days of outreach.
resultsOf 504 older adults prescribed benzodiazepines, 133 (26%) were opted out by their PCPs leaving a cohort of 371 (median age 71 years [IQR 68-75], 58% female, 82% White). The median daily diazepam milligram equivalent was 5 mg (IQR 3-6 mg) and 30% were prescribed long-acting benzodiazepines. Three months following patient outreach, 97 patients (26%) had a documented discussion of benzodiazepines with their PCP or clinic pharmacist. Of these patients, 35 (36%) had documentation of a deprescribing discussion and 25 (26%) initiated a taper. At 12 months, 16 patients (64%) were tapered successfully, with nine (36%) patients taking a lower benzodiazepine dose and seven (28%) discontinuing benzodiazepines completely.
conclusionsA low-intensity benzodiazepine deprescribing outreach program led to deprescribing conversations for a minority of patients, but one-quarter of older adults who engaged in a conversation chose to taper and nearly two-thirds sustained reduced use. Incorporating benzodiazepine deprescribing into routine care may require more intensive population-health efforts to engage patients and clinicians.
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