Deprescribing Benzodiazepines in Elderly Patients

Deprescribing Benzodiazepines in Elderly Patients - #73

Take Quiz

Geriatric patients in clinic and long-term care outpatient settings.

Elderly patients taking benzodiazepines presenting to a clinic or long term care setting.

Benzodiazepines are common anxiolytic and sedative medications whose primary pharmacologic properties and side effects carry increased risk in older patients.

  1. Identify unnecessary or inappropriate benzodiazepine medication use in elderly patients.
  2. Describe a strategy to partner with patients and develop options for decreasing and possibly deprescribing benzodiazepines.
  1. Olfson M, King M Schoenbaum M.  Benzodiazepine use in the United States.  JAMA Psychiatry.  2015 Feb; 72(2):1)36-42.
  2. Campanelli, C.  American Geriatrics Society Updated Beers Criteria for Potentially Inappropriate Medications Use in Older Adults: The American Geriatrics Society 2012 Beers Criteria Update Expert Panel.  JAGS  2012: Apr 60(4); 616-631.
  3. Pottie K, Thompson W, Davies S, Grenier J, Sadowski C, Welch V, Holbrook A, Boyd C, Swenson JR, Ma A, Farrell B (2016).  Evidence-based clinical practice guideline for deprescribing benzodiazepine receptor agonists.  Unpublished manuscript deprescribing.org Benzodiazepine & Z-Drug (BZRA) Deprescribing Notes.
This GFF ___ my competence in geriatrics.

Steven Denson, MD, Division of Geriatrics/Gerontology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Kathryn Denson, MD, Division of Geriatrics/Gerontology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin