Journal article
Characteristics of incident benzodiazepine recipients among US veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder
American journal of health-system pharmacy, Vol.82(3), pp.e166-e172
01/24/2025
DOI: 10.1093/ajhp/zxae311
PMCID: PMC11760524
PMID: 39471357
Appears in UI Libraries Support Open Access
Abstract
In an effort to expedite the publication of articles, AJHP is posting manuscripts online as soon as possible after acceptance. Accepted manuscripts have been peer-reviewed and copyedited, but are posted online before technical formatting and author proofing. These manuscripts are not the final version of record and will be replaced with the final article (formatted per AJHP style and proofed by the authors) at a later time.
While benzodiazepine prescribing among veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) declined substantially in the Veterans Health Administration over the past decade, little is known about current incident prescribing. Our objective was therefore to describe patient, provider, facility, and prescribing characteristics among veterans with PTSD who were incident benzodiazepine recipients in 2022 and contrast these to the characteristics for incident recipients in 2012.
This retrospective observational study included all veterans with PTSD who received an incident benzodiazepine prescription during calendar year 2022 and separately for 2012. The distribution of patient, provider, facility, and benzodiazepine prescribing characteristics was contrasted between years. Stratified subanalyses were conducted by potential non-PTSD benzodiazepine indication, including anxiety and sleep disorders.
A total of 28,310 (6.6%) incident benzodiazepine recipients were identified in 2012, which decreased to 16,776 (1.9%) incident recipients in 2022. The proportion of initial prescriptions written for a days' supply of 30 or more days decreased from 75.6% to 51.7%, and the proportion who received a second prescription within 6 months decreased from 68.7% to 53.5%. The proportion of patients with diagnoses for potential benzodiazepine indications also increased, including for generalized anxiety disorder (15.1% increase), obsessive compulsive disorders (0.6% increase), panic disorder (6.7% increase), and sleep disorders (22.9% increase).
As incident benzodiazepine prescribing among veterans with PTSD decreased over the past decade, so did the volume of drug dispensed and duration of therapy, while the prevalence of documented prescriptions for non-PTSD indications increased.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Characteristics of incident benzodiazepine recipients among US veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder
- Creators
- Komel N Shahid - Iowa City VA Health Care SystemKatherine Hadlandsmyth - Iowa City VA Health Care SystemDelaney R Brainerd - Iowa City VA Health Care SystemBrian C Lund - University of Iowa
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- American journal of health-system pharmacy, Vol.82(3), pp.e166-e172
- DOI
- 10.1093/ajhp/zxae311
- PMID
- 39471357
- PMCID
- PMC11760524
- NLM abbreviation
- Am J Health Syst Pharm
- ISSN
- 1079-2082
- eISSN
- 1535-2900
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press; CARY
- Grant note
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration, Office of Rural Health, Veterans Rural Health Resource Center-Iowa City: NOMAD PROJ-03609 Department of Pharmacy Services in the Iowa City Veterans Affairs Health Care SystemHealth Services Research & Development Service, Department of Veterans Affairs: CIN 13-412
This material is based on work supported by the Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration, Office of Rural Health, Veterans Rural Health Resource Center-Iowa City (NOMAD PROJ-03609). This research was further supported by the Department of Pharmacy Services in the Iowa City Veterans Affairs Health Care System and the Health Services Research & Development Service, Department of Veterans Affairs (Drs. Lund and Hadlandsmyth, CIN 13-412). The authors have declared no potential conflicts of interest.
- Language
- English
- Electronic publication date
- 10/29/2024
- Date published
- 01/24/2025
- Academic Unit
- Psychiatry; Epidemiology; Pharmacy Practice and Science; Anesthesia
- Record Identifier
- 9984740953802771
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