BENZODIAZEPINE PRESCRIBING IN A SYDNEY TEACHING HOSPITAL

Objectives: To determine the pattern of benzodiazepine prescribing in hospital and at discharge in relation to prior benzodiazepine therapy. Design: Patient interview within 48 hours of admission to determine b enzodiazepine, alcohol and other psychotropic drug use before admissio n and review of medical records after discharge to document drugs pres cribed in hospital and at discharge. Setting: Tertiary teaching hospit al, January to August 1995. Results: 1453 patients (mean age, 60 [SD, 19] years; 52.7% female) were interviewed; 277 patients (19.1%) were t aking benzodiazepines regularly (one or more doses per week) before ad mission. Of these, 28.5% did not have benzodiazepine therapy continued while in hospital and 63.9% did not receive benzodiazepines at the ti me of discharge. Of the remaining 1176 patients (those not previously taking benzodiazepines), 277 (23.6%) were prescribed them for the firs t time in hospital and 5.3% received benzodiazepines at the time of di scharge. Older age, female sex, marital status (single, divorced or wi dowed) and the use of antidepressants and Schedule 8 narcotic analgesi cs were all statistically significant predictors of benzodiazepine use before admission, but alcohol consumption was not. Conclusions: A sub stantial number of patients do not have their benzodiazepine therapy c ontinued in hospital and at the time of discharge, and are thus at ris k of developing benzodiazepine withdrawal syndromes, including deliriu m. A small but clinically significant number of patients who do not us ually take benzodiazepines receive them at the time of discharge and m ay be at risk of becoming long term users.