Pharmacotherapeutic Implications and Prescribing Pattern of Benzodiazepines (BZD) by Psychiatrists and Neurologists

The aim of this study is to explore and investigate benzodiazepine (BZD) prescribing pattern by neurologists and psychiatrists. Randomly selected five hundred and five neurologists and psychiatrists prescriptions were collected throughout West-Bank and analyzed using SPSS 10 for windows. Approximately half of the prescriptions contain BZD with alprozolam being the most commonly prescribed BZD followed by clonazepam. More than half of the BZD prescriptions were missing important patient and dispensing information. Gender of the patient and physician’s specialty were not a determining factor in choosing or prescribing BZD. Antidepressants were commonly co-prescribed with BZD (57%). BZD were more commonly co-prescribed with tricylic antidepressants (TCA) antidepressants than selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Approximately 20% of antipsychotic prescriptions contained BZD especially clonazepam. In conclusion, although our study is not based on complete clinical investigation of patients disease and drug history, it is clear that there is some irrational BZD prescribing practices based on the general requirements for BZD prescriptions.