BZD from PCP study

[lobelsteve]

Medicare Part D beneficiaries received more than 1.2 billion total days of BZDs at a cost of more than US$374 million, which accounted for 2.3% of all Part D medication days. PCPs prescribed 61.9% of all BZDs overall, or more than 728 million of all BZD days.

Short-acting BZDs were prescribed for 91.1% of BZD days, with alprazolam accounting for 38.2% of all BZD days, followed by lorazepam (24.3%), clonazepam (18.3%), temazepam (9.8%), triazolam (0.2%), oxazepam (0.2%), and estazolam (0.1%).

Long-acting BZDs were prescribed for 8.9% of BZD days: diazepam (8.2%), clorazepate (0.6%), and chlordiazepoxide (0.1%).

From medscape medical news.

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[Biohazard685]

But my opioid crisis!

 

[NJPAIN]

The PCPs in my area give Xanax to the elderly like it's candy. Xanax during the day and Ambien for sleep. Almost every single patient.

 

[swamprat]

Where I practice I feel like everyone is on at least 1 mg Xanax QD all from PCPs. There’s also a large amount of people with a chronic monthly cold getting promethizine and codeine from said PCPs

 

[geauxg8rs]

It boggles the mind seeing two benzos, ambien, soma all on same patient.

I mean Why is soma even still allowed on the market????

 

[clubdeac]

Everyone in their 20-30s gets adderall and everyone in their 60-70s xanax. 40-50 y/o's get the opioids.

 

[myrandom2003]

funny. even the psychs in my area prescribe benzos. In fact they have controlled substance agreements with the patients but expect me to prescribe the opioids. I have gotten a few phone calls from the psychs asking why I wouldn't prescribe the patient opioids.

Its not just the PCPs. Across all specialties, it's just easier to use the power to prescribe.

 

[jettavr6]

In residency (psychiatry), if we wrote for more than 10 days of benzos, we would get called in to one of the directors offices for a "chat."

 

[SommeRiver]

I haven't seen a Xanax Rx in a long time. It is Valium for sleep where I practice.

 

[pastafan]

Old timer psychiatrists write it like candy.

 

[Extralong]

It’s really annoying how everyone focuses on opioids, and completely miss the benzo crisis. Happens all too often.

 

[Ducttape]

Well, Benzos alone don’t typically cause significant respiratory depression to lead to fatalities, so it’s fairly obvious why the focus is on opioids...

 

[drusso]

It’s really annoying how everyone focuses on opioids, and completely miss the benzo crisis. Happens all too often.

The prescription benzodiazepine epidemic in a nutshell

 

[painfree23]

The PCPs in my area give Xanax to the elderly like it's candy. Xanax during the day and Ambien for sleep. Almost every single patient.

Soo how do you prescribe them opiates?

 

[Extralong]

Well, Benzos alone don’t typically cause significant respiratory depression to lead to fatalities, so it’s fairly obvious why the focus is on opioids...

I think the focus on opioids is important, and effects us all, but so many other things that effect our patients get placed on the back burner.

Even if it’s rare, benzos can cause resp depression leading to death, especially in older adults. More commonly, they can cause cardiovascular and pulmonary toxicity that leads to morbidity and mortality. And how often do we have patients on multiple meds. Adding to the mix, one can die from benzo withdrawal. All of that should be enough to raise the schedule of Benzos.

 

[Extralong]

The prescription benzodiazepine epidemic in a nutshell

I missed this thread, I was away on a Hawaii trip funded by Xanax

j/k