Bulletin Index/

Safety and the Precautionary Principle

1. Safety First: Women and Health Protection

2. Hormone Therapy: Health Protection Lessons from the Women’s Health Initiative

3. Registering the Impact of Breast Implants

4. Women and Adverse Drug Reactions: Reporting in the Canadian Context

Public Health vs. Profit

5. Direct-to-Consumer Advertising of Prescription Drugs – Whatever the Problem, You Can Always Pop a Pill

6. International Harmonisation of New Drugs Regulation: Not in Women’s Best Interest

7. Communicating about Environmental Risks and Infant Feeding

8. Canadian Women’s Health Network

Lessons from the Past - Ongoing Risks

9. Beyond DES – Hormones in the Environment

10. DES Action Canada

11. The Over-Prescription of Benzodiazepines

The Over-Prescription of Benzodiazepines

Renée A. Cormier

The over-prescription of benzodiazepines (tranquillizers) was first identified as a critical health care issue among Canadian women through the pioneering work of Ruth Cooperstock and colleagues, who reported that women are prescribed benzodiazepines at twice the rate of men (Cooperstock, 1976; Cooperstock & Hill, 1982; Cooperstock & Lennard, 1979). Guidelines specify that benzodiazepines should only be prescribed for seven days to four weeks, but there is evidence that individuals are regularly prescribed the drugs for periods far in excess of ten days, and in some cases, for as long as twenty years (Ashton, 2002). Prolonged use of benzodiazepines results directly in a variety of health problems such as increased risk of hip and femur fractures and impairments in memory and general intelligence (Ashton, 2002; http://www.benzo.org.uk).

The Benzodiazepine Research Advisory Group, affilated with the British Columbia Centre of Excellence for Women’s Health, collaborated with stakeholder groups and undertook an extensive literature review. Key gaps in knowledge, research, and programs were found that must be addressed in order to protect the health of Canadian women and men from the negative effects of long-term benzodiazepine use. These are:

• benzodiazepine usage patterns in various subpopulations of Canadians;



• health consequences of long-term use;



• prescription patterns by health service providers;



• prevention and education efforts targeted at key stakeholder groups;



• a comprehensive intervention strategy directed at benzodiazepine-dependent individuals.

A bibliography of the literature related to benzodiazepine use and overuse, including the sources mentioned here, is available at www.bccewh.bc.ca.

British Columbia Centre of Excellence for Women’s Health
BC Women’s Hospital and Health Centre
E311 – 4500 Oak Street, Vancouver, BC Canada  V6H 3N1
Tel: (604) 875-2633 Fax: (604) 875-3716
Web site: www.bccewh.bc.ca   E-mail: bccewh@cw.bc.ca

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