Skip Navigation


Family Practice Advance Access originally published online on August 17, 2005
Family Practice 2006 23(1):65-72; doi:10.1093/fampra/cmi065
This Article
Right arrow Full Text Freely available
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
23/1/65    most recent
cmi065v1
Right arrow E-letters: Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when E-letters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Search for citing articles in:
ISI Web of Science (5)
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Gorgels, W.
Right arrow Articles by Zitman, F.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Gorgels, W.
Right arrow Articles by Zitman, F.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© The Author (2005). Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

Predictors of discontinuation of benzodiazepine prescription after sending a letter to long-term benzodiazepine users in family practice

WJMJ Gorgelsa, RC Oude Voshaarb, AJJ Molb, EH van de Lisdonka, AJLM van Balkomc, MHM Bretelerd, HJM van den Hoogena, J Muldera and FG Zitmane

a Department of General Practice and Family Medicine, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, b Department of Psychiatry, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, c Department of Psychiatry and Institute for Research in Extramural Medicine, VU University Medical Center Amsterdam, d Department of Clinical Psychology, Radboud University Nijmegen and e Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center, The Netherlands.

Correspondence to Wim JMJ Gorgels, Department of General Practice and Family Medicine, HP 229, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, PO box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Email: W.Gorgels{at}hag.umcn.nl

Background. Predictors of benzodiazepine discontinuation after sending a discontinuation letter by the family practitioner have not been established sufficiently.

Objective. To identify predictors of short- and long-term discontinuation of benzodiazepine use and relapse in use after a minimal intervention with a discontinuation letter followed by an offer for an evaluation consultation.

Methods. Predictors of benzodiazepine discontinuation and relapse in use were studied by logistic regression analysis and survival analysis within a family practice population of long-term benzodiazepine users (n = 1707) addressed by a discontinuation letter and followed for 21 months.

Results. A lower baseline prescription, a shorter duration of use, male gender and use of an agent with a half-life time <24 hours were predictive of complete discontinuation in the short (6 months) and long term (21 months). Multiple agent use at baseline, use of antidepressants at 6 months and benzodiazepine type (anxiolytic/hypnotic) at baseline predicted relapse. Attendance at an evaluation consultation 3 months after the letter was sent was not predictive of discontinuation or relapse.

Conclusions. Amount of baseline use and duration of use are the main determinative characteristics of successful discontinuation. The discontinuation letter intervention is suitable for use with a broad group of long-term benzodiazepine users in family practice and can be used as a first step within a stepped care approach to decrease long-term benzodiazepine use.

Keywords. Benzodiazepines, discontinuation letter, family practice, minimal intervention strategy.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Fam PractHome page
W. Gorgels, R. Oude Voshaar, A. Mol, E. van de Lisdonk, J Mulder, H van den Hoogen, A. van Balkom, M. Breteler, and F. Zitman
Consequences of a benzodiazepine discontinuation programme in family practice on psychotropic medication prescription to the participants
Fam. Pract., October 1, 2007; 24(5): 504 - 510.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Disclaimer:
Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.