One-time counselling decreases the use of benzodiazepines and related drugs among community-dwelling older persons.

BACKGROUND

evidence about possibilities to help older persons to withdraw the long-term use of benzodiazepines (BZD) is scarce. Effective and practicable methods are needed.

OBJECTIVE

the study aimed to assess the persistence of one-time counselling by a geriatrician to reduce psychotropic drugs, especially BZD and related drugs (RD).

DESIGN

a prospective randomised controlled trial with a 12-month follow-up was conducted.

SUBJECTS

five hundred ninety-one community-dwelling people aged 65 or older participated in the study.

METHODS

instructions to withdraw, reduce or change psychotropic drugs were given to the intervention group. A 1-h lecture about these drugs and their adverse effects was given later on. No changes in the drug therapy were suggested for the controls.

RESULTS

the number of regular users of BZD and RD decreased by 35% (12/34) (odds ratios (OR) = 0.61, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.44-0.86) in the intervention group while it increased by 4% (2/46) (OR = 1.05, 95% CI 0.81-1.36) in the controls (P = 0.012). No significant changes in the users of other types of psychotropics were found.

CONCLUSION

one-time counselling of psychotropics and other fall-risk-increasing drugs by a geriatrician followed with a 1-h lecture about adverse effects of these drugs had positive effects in decreasing the number of regular users of BZD and RD, and these effects persisted for the total 12-month intervention period.