Benzodiazepine Prescription and Use in the Older Adults in Catalonia, Spain from 2018 to 2022: A Drug Utilization Study.

Authors

Miliça Paut Kusturica, M Teresa Peñarrubia-María, Lucy Anne Parker, Sara Mucherino, Enrica Menditto, Valentina Orlando, Ignacio Aznar Lou

Published in

Drugs & aging. Oct 07, 2026. Epub Oct 07, 2026.

Abstract

Benzodiazepines (BZDs) remain among the most frequently prescribed psychotropic drugs in older adults, despite well-documented risks and guideline recommendations for short-term use. This study analyzed BZD prescribing trends among individuals aged ≥ 65 years in Catalonia, Spain, between 2018 and 2022.
A retrospective drug utilization study was conducted using anonymized electronic health records from the SIDIAP (Information System for Research in Primary Care) database, covering approximately 80% of the Catalan population. All patients aged ≥ 65 years with at least one BZD prescription were included. Data were analyzed by sex, age group, onset of action, and duration of effect. Utilization was expressed in defined daily doses per 1000 inhabitants per day.
The study included 463,446 older adults (68.2% women; mean age 77.1 ± 8.0 years) with 1,731,408 BZD prescriptions. Rapid-onset BZDs accounted for 51.9% and intermediate-onset for 45.2% of prescriptions; slow-onset drugs were 2.95%. Intermediate-acting BZDs predominated by duration (47.6%), followed by short-acting BZDs (31.9%) and long-acting BZDs (20.4%). Women had higher use than men across all age groups (e.g., short-acting < 75 years: 233.6 vs 106.6 defined daily doses per 1000 inhabitants per day). Median treatment duration was longest for intermediate-acting BZDs (219 days, interquartile range 59-365) and intermediate-onset BZDs (221 days, interquartile range 59-365).
Benzodiazepine prescribing among Catalan older adults remains high, dominated by rapid-onset and short-acting to intermediate-acting agents, with widespread long-term use. These findings highlight the need for structured medication reviews, deprescribing programs, and prescriber education to reduce inappropriate BZD exposure in this population.

PMID:
42844552
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 08 Oct 2026.

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