Benzodiazepines: are we overprescribing?

The authors made a survey of benzodiazepine use in the Family Practice Units at Toronto General Hospital and report the findings. They have examined, among other factors, drugs used, reasons for use, and perceived withdrawal symptoms. The results indicated that 24.3% of respondents had taken benzodiazepines in the previous year, and 12.2% in the previous two weeks. There was no difference in the percentage of use of benzodiazepines by males and females. This study confirms that diazepam was the most common drug used in all age ranges. Finally, 6.1% of benzodiazepine users stated that they had attempted an overdose.