Prevalence and Trends of Concurrent Opioid Analgesic and Benzodiazepine Use among Veterans Affairs Patients with PTSD, 2003-2011

Patients with PTSD have complex and multiple symptoms, including anxiety, insomnia, and co-occurring pain, often treated with opioids and benzodiazepines.,.

The trend in age-adjusted long-term concurrent opioid and benzodiazepine use over 9-years increased 52.7%, 

• from 3.6%, in men 
• and 79.5%, from 3.9% to 7.0%, in women. 
• In 2011, 17.1% of long-term concurrent users were prescribed morphine-equivalent daily doses of opioids ≥100 mg and 49.4% had a documented high-risk condition.

Despite known risks associated with prescribing opioids and benzodiazepines concurrently, the adjusted prevalence of long-term concurrent use rose significantly among men and women with PTSD over a 9-year period. 

Common use of these medications among patients with high-risk conditions suggests comprehensive strategies are needed to identify and monitor patients at increased risk for adverse outcomes.

Via: http://ht.ly/SgC3O 

By: Hawkins EJ1,2,3,4, Malte CA1,2,3, Grossbard JR2, Saxon AJ1,2,3,4.

• 1Health Services Research & Development (HSR&D) Seattle Center of Innovation for Veteran-Centered and Value-Driven Care, Seattle, USA.
• 2Center of Excellence in Substance Abuse Treatment and Education, Seattle, USA.
• 3VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, Washington, USA.
• 4Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.