Observational studyBMJ open2024
Association between benzodiazepine coprescription and mortality in people on opioid replacement therapy: a population-based cohort study.
Observational study in BMJ open, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT04622995 (Exploring the Utility and Safety of Benzodiazepine Prescribing Among People Receiving Opiate Replacement Therapy in Scotland), which is not on this map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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.
Exploring the Utility and Safety of Benzodiazepine Prescribing Among People Receiving Opiate Replacement Therapy in Scotland (the BENZORT Study).
Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Evidence-based consensus guidelines for the pharmacological management of substance dependence: Recommendations from the British Association for Psychopharmacology.Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England) · 2026Guideline
- Prescription Patterns of Benzodiazepines and Opioid Analgesics in Adults with and without Major Psychiatric Disorders: A Nationwide Cohort Study.Yonsei medical journal · 2026Article
- A feasibility study of a co-designed intervention to manage benzodiazepine dependence and high-risk use in those receiving opioid agonist treatment.Pilot and feasibility studies · 2025Article
- A qualitative study of benzodiazepine/z-drug and opioid co-use patterns and overdose risk.Harm reduction journal · 2025Article
- Clinical Outcomes of Benzodiazepine Prescribing for People Receiving Opioid Agonist Treatment: A Systematic Review of the Evidence.Pharmacy (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
10 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveTo investigate the association between opioid replacement therapy (ORT) and benzodiazepine (BZD) coprescription and all-cause mortality compared with the prescription of ORT alone.
designPopulation-based cohort study.
settingScotland, UK.
participantsParticipants were people prescribed ORT between January 2010 and end of December 2020 aged 18 years or above.
main outcome measuresAll-cause mortality, drug-related deaths and non-drug related deaths. SECONDARY OUTCOME: ORT continuous treatment duration. ANALYSIS: Cox regression with time-varying covariates.
resultsDuring follow-up, 5776 of 46 899 participants died: 1398 while on coprescription and 4378 while on ORT only. The mortality per 100 person years was 3.11 during coprescription and 2.34 on ORT only. The adjusted HR for all-cause mortality was 1.17 (1.10 to 1.24). The adjusted HR for drug-related death was 1.14 (95% CI, 1.04 to 1.24) and the hazard for death not classified as drug-related was 1.19 (95% CI, 1.09 to 1.30).
conclusionCoprescription of BZDs in ORT was associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality, although with a small effect size than the international literature. Coprescribing was also associated with longer retention in treatment. Risk from BZD coprescription needs to be balanced against the risk from illicit BZDs and unplanned treatment discontinuation. A randomised controlled trial is urgently needed to provide a clear clinical direction. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT04622995.
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