Prevalence of prescription of benzodiazepines and concordance between doctors and patients reasons for their use
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32385/rpmgf.v20i2.10025Keywords:
Benzodiazepines, prevalence, prescription, drug useAbstract
Setting: Portugal has become, in the last decade, the third European consumer of benzodiazepines (BZ). In 56% of situations the prescription source is the family doctor. Aims: To determine the prevalence of BZ prescription. To describe prescribed BZ and sociodemographic characteristics of users. To assess the concordance between main motives for use declared by the patient and the doctors reasons for prescription. Methods: A cross-sectional analytic study was performed. A random sample (n=1.000) of patients aged 18 or older from the Family Health Unit Horizonte was studied. The relation between BZ prescription and age, gender marital status, profession, educational degree and number of encounters in 2001 was studied. Type of BZ prescribed, and reasons for prescription and use were assessed. Concordance between reasons for prescription and use were studied. Results and discussion: Prevalence of BZ prescription in 2001 was 14,8%, similar to that found in other countries. More females than males taking BZ, a rising use with age and with reasons both for use and prescription were found, which is in accordance with published results from elsewhere. There was no agreement between reason for use as stated by the patient and reason for prescription as stated by the family doctor for anxiety patients; agreement was slight for sleep impairment and depression.Downloads
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