Sven Buth1, Rüdiger Holzbach, Marcus-Sebastian Martens, Eike Neumann-Runde, Ommo Meiners, Uwe Verthein. 1. Center for Interdisciplinary Addiction Research at the University of Hamburg (ZIS), Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg; Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, Hochsauerland Hospital Group, Arnsberg; North German Pharmacy Data Center/Pharmacy Billing Center (NARZ/AVN).
Abstract
BACKGROUND: An estimated 1.4 to 2.6 million people in German suffer from drug dependence. Most of them are long-term users of benzodiazepines (BZD), Z drugs (ZD), or opioid analgesics (OA). METHODS: This analysis is based on prescription data from patients of the national statutory health insurance system in the German federal states of Schleswig-Holstein, Hamburg, Bremen, and Lower Saxony. Drug-taking trends, duration, dosage, and long-term use of BZD, ZD, and OA in the years 2006 to 2015 are analyzed; prevalences are estimated for the years 2006 to 2016. RESULTS: In 2006, 7.7% of patients received at least one prescription for a BZD, ZD, or OA; in 2016, 7.0% did. Over the period of analysis, a marked drop was seen in prescriptions of BZD and a slight fall in prescriptions of ZD (2006: BZD 3.5%, ZS 1.1%; 2016: BZD 2.0%, ZS 0.8%), but there was also an increase in prescriptions of OA, from 4.2% to 4.9%. The number of defined daily doses (DDD) prescribed per year fell for both BZD and ZD. For OA, the number of DDD prescribed per year rose from 2006 to 2009 and decreased by a small amount in subsequent years. The proportions of BZD and ZD patients who had long-term prescriptions fell over time, while the corresponding percentage of OA patients rose. CONCLUSION: Nearly one-fifth of all prescriptions for BZD were long-term prescriptions for an entire year, in violation of the relevant guidelines. The rising prevalence of OA use was in the expected range in view of the aging population, but the number of prescriptions rose among younger patients as well. This trend toward more common treatment with opioid analgesics should be critically examined.
BACKGROUND: An estimated 1.4 to 2.6 million people in German suffer from drug dependence. Most of them are long-term users of benzodiazepines (BZD), Z drugs (ZD), or opioid analgesics (OA). METHODS: This analysis is based on prescription data from patients of the national statutory health insurance system in the German federal states of Schleswig-Holstein, Hamburg, Bremen, and Lower Saxony. Drug-taking trends, duration, dosage, and long-term use of BZD, ZD, and OA in the years 2006 to 2015 are analyzed; prevalences are estimated for the years 2006 to 2016. RESULTS: In 2006, 7.7% of patients received at least one prescription for a BZD, ZD, or OA; in 2016, 7.0% did. Over the period of analysis, a marked drop was seen in prescriptions of BZD and a slight fall in prescriptions of ZD (2006: BZD 3.5%, ZS 1.1%; 2016: BZD 2.0%, ZS 0.8%), but there was also an increase in prescriptions of OA, from 4.2% to 4.9%. The number of defined daily doses (DDD) prescribed per year fell for both BZD and ZD. For OA, the number of DDD prescribed per year rose from 2006 to 2009 and decreased by a small amount in subsequent years. The proportions of BZD and ZD patients who had long-term prescriptions fell over time, while the corresponding percentage of OA patients rose. CONCLUSION: Nearly one-fifth of all prescriptions for BZD were long-term prescriptions for an entire year, in violation of the relevant guidelines. The rising prevalence of OA use was in the expected range in view of the aging population, but the number of prescriptions rose among younger patients as well. This trend toward more common treatment with opioid analgesics should be critically examined.
Authors: Winfried Häuser; Fritjof Bock; Peter Engeser; Thomas Tölle; Anne Willweber-Strumpfe; Frank Petzke Journal: Dtsch Arztebl Int Date: 2014-10-24 Impact factor: 5.594
Authors: Kai Spiegelhalder; Harald Baumeister; Dieter Riemann; David Daniel Ebert; Abdulwahab Al-Kamaly; Martina Bader; Natalie Bauereiss; Fee Benz; Lina Braun; Claudia Buntrock; Maike Burkhardt; Pim Cuijpers; Katharina Domschke; Patrick Dülsen; Marvin Franke; Lukas Frase; Elena Heber; Kathrin Helm; Terry Jentsch; Anna Johann; Ann-Marie Küchler; Michael Kuhn; Dirk Lehr; Andy Maun; Charles M Morin; Morten Moshagen; Kneginja Richter; Julian Schiel; Laura Simon; Lukas Spille; Hans-Günter Weeß Journal: BMJ Open Date: 2022-08-03 Impact factor: 3.006