A Need for Benzodiazepine Deprescribing in the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cohort Study

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative impact on patients’ mental health. The aim of this study was to explore whether the pandemic influenced the use and prescription of benzodiazepines and increased the need for community pharmacist involvement in counselling on deprescribing. Electronic prescription-related data from one pharmacy in Croatia were retrospectively collected for the COVID-19 period (April 2020 to March 2021) and compared with pre-COVID-19 (April 2019 to March 2020) data. Data were collected for patients diagnosed with anxiety disorders who filled out more than one prescription for benzodiazepines, and included age, sex, number of medicines, benzodiazepines, and comorbidities. A total of 1290 benzodiazepine users were identified; of these, 32.87% started using benzodiazepines during the COVID-19 period, while 35.2% continued with benzodiazepine use. More than half of all benzodiazepine users were identified as potential deprescribing candidates (dispensed more than three prescriptions). Women, older patients, multimorbid individuals, and patients with polypharmacy were more likely to use benzodiazepines for a prolonged period. The results show a negative trend of benzodiazepine usage among community-dwelling patients during the pandemic. Community pharmacists can identify potential candidates for deprescribing and initiate a process that ensures more rational use of benzodiazepines and increases the safety of treatment.

Aumento No Uso De Benzodiazepínicos Entre Os Profissionais Da Saúde Durante a Pandemia: Uma Revisão Sistemática

“…Os farmacêuticos podem ajudar a identificar candidatos à prescrição de várias maneiras: ao dispensar medicamentos e aconselhar sobre o uso apropriado durante a prática diária, através de processos de triagem préconsulta, como revisão de medicamentos ou gerenciamento abrangente de medicamentos, com base em padrões de prescrição, ou através de processos predefinidos liderados por farmacêuticos. descrevendo iniciativas destinadas a populações específicas (Bužančić;Pejaković;Hadžiabdić, 2022).…”

Selective Extraction of Diazepam and Its Metabolites from Urine Samples by a Molecularly Imprinted Solid-Phase Extraction (MISPE) Method

“…DZP is one of the most prescribed BZDs and is commonly used to treat diverse conditions, such as convulsions, insomnia and anxiety. In 2020, DZP was among the ten most used medications in Europe [ 37 ]. In the human body, DZP is metabolized by the liver into NZ, TZ and OZ, which are then eliminated by the kidney.…”

Benzodiazepine Interference with Fertility and Embryo Development: A Preliminary Survey in the Sea Urchin Paracentrotus lividus

“…The present study aimed to determine the effects of an environmentally realistic concentration of DLZ (1 µg/L [6,7]) and, in parallel, of two higher doses (5 and 10 µg/L), in consideration of the growing consumption trend, favored by the post-pandemic scenario [34,35]. Four different experiments were carried out to detect the interference of the drug on eggs and sperm quality, fertilization, and development.…”