Progress Made on Avoiding Risky Sedatives in Older Adults, but More Work Still Needed

A study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society found 7.3 percent of older veterans in the United States have a prescription for benzodiazepine, which is flagged by international guidelines as a drug that few people older than 65 should take, reports Medical Xpress . A steady decline in all benzodiazepine prescriptions has been observed since new guidelines were issued, while the number of older adults starting on the drugs for the first time has fallen even faster. However, the continued use of the drugs demonstrates much more needs to be done to notify providers, users, and families to their risks and the need to find alternative treatments. The countries the study focused on participate in Choosing Wisely International, an initiative supported by the Commonwealth Fund to help countries mirror the Choosing Wisely effort launched by the American Board of Internal Medicine that currently offers U.S. doctors and care recipients many evidence-based recommendations. University of Michigan Medical School Professor Donovan Maust says newer antidepressant drugs, and non-drug psychotherapy approaches, can ease many of the symptoms that often spur doctors to prescribe benzodiazepines, without the hazards. Research also has shown that those who take a benzodiazepine to calm the effects of acute stress are likely to develop post-traumatic stress disorder.