Benzos might be a 'hidden element' of the US' overdose epidemic

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It's not just opioids. Benzodiazepines or 'benzos,' often prescribed for anxiety or sleep issues, might also be contributing to the US' overdose epidemic.

Doctors have been increasingly prescribing benzodiazepines, also known as"benzos," in recent years. Looking at data from 2014 to 2016, new research found this class of central nervous system depressants was prescribed at about 65.9 million office-based doctor visits. That's a rate of 27 annual visits per 100 adults.

The research, which analyzed data from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, was published on Friday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.It's not just opioids: What doctors want you to know about benzosBenzodiazepines such as alprazolam, diazepam and lorazepam can be helpful when taken on a short-term basis. Doctors often prescribe them to relieve acute anxiety, agitation or to help someone sleep. Taken over the long term, they can become addictive.

If a Florida patient trips and falls in California, for example, a VA doctor can check the system to see if the patient is already getting a prescription for opioids, and if they are, they won't also prescribe them benzodiazepines, Humphreys said. He said doctors outside the VA may not realize that another physician has put a patient on a benzo or an opioid."They could be prescribing these in good faith and don't realize the overlapping prescriptions," Humphreys said.

 

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