Prescribing benzodiazepines in the elderly
Benzodiazepines and antipsychotics have been widely known as an
indicator that could considerably raise older patients’ risk of falls,
fractures, and even mortality.25,26 However, these
medications are commonly prescribed in China due to an insufficient
vigilance of adverse outcomes that they might bring about. In the
present study, 80.5% of insomnia patients were taking at least one
benzodiazepine, in majority due to the common complaining of sleep
disorders.
Suspending the use of benzodiazepines and choosing other alternative
drugs that lead to a lower risk of falls could hopefully minimize the
possibility of relevant adverse outcomes, which in turn, avoids
unnecessary healthcare spending in both resources and
expenditures.27 Thus, we suggest physicians and
pharmacists to pay more attention in the prescribing of benzodiazepines
for elderly patients, particularly long-acting benzodiazepines.