Comparison of the benzodiazepines users with the general practitioners experiences

Jelizaveta Narodicka, Jelena Danilenko

Keywords: benzodiazepine users, family medicine.

Background:
Benzodiazepines (BDZ) are class of the drug that are widely used to treat anexiety and insomnia. However, regular use (>4 weeks) can cause serious side effects, such as addiction, in the public we can find people who are using BDZ more than a year.

Research questions:
What is the difference between general practitioners (GP) and BDZs users experiences?

Method:
Descriptive cross-sectional study using an online survery was conducted. Data was collected from 51 GPs and 71 BDZ users and analyzed using SPSS 27 program.

Results:
The study included 51 GPs, most of whom have been practicing for more than 20 years (64,7%) and 71 BDZ users (93% female, 7% male), the mean age - 34,6 (SD=10.62). The most prescribed BDZs in GPs practice were Bromazepam, Alprazolam and Clonazepam (94,1%, 86,3% and 35,3%), however in general population these drugs were used by respectivelly 67,6%, 70,4% and 11,3% (p=<0,000, p=0,040, p=0,001). In general population 21,1% have been taking BDZs more than a year and 15,5% more than 4 weeks, but in GPs practice only 2% use BDZ more than a year and 2% more than 4 weeks. Distribution of the therapy duration in the GPs experience differs significantly from general population (p=0,005). BZD users and GPs reported that the most common side effect of the BDZ was sleepiness (54,3% and 54,0%). 15,7% GPs reported about constipation, but only 4,2% users had this side effect (p=0,021). 47,1% GPs noticed dizziness, and only 18,3% had it (p=0,001).

Conclusions:
The most prescribed BZDs in GPs practice differ significantly from the drugs that are used in general population. As well as there are differences between the side effect experience in GPs practice and general population, but both groups observed sleepiness as the most common side effect. The duration of the BDZ therapy was longer in general population than in GPs practice.

Points for discussion:
BDZs usage is exceeding recommended length and dosage.

To which extend the long-term use of the BDZs and its' severe side effects are related to the GPs practice?