2022
Strategies Associated With Reducing Benzodiazepine Prescribing to Older Adults: A Mixed Methods Study
Maust DT, Takamine L, Wiechers IR, Blow FC, Bohnert ASB, Strominger J, Min L, Krein SL. Strategies Associated With Reducing Benzodiazepine Prescribing to Older Adults: A Mixed Methods Study. The Annals Of Family Medicine 2022, 20: 328-335. PMID: 35879067, PMCID: PMC9328717, DOI: 10.1370/afm.2825.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsAverage daily doseDaily doseOlder adultsVeterans Health AdministrationHealth care facilitiesCommunity-based settingsLorazepam equivalentsAppropriate prescribingPrescribing practicesBZD prescribingBZD treatmentOlder veteransCare facilitiesMethods studyHealth AdministrationPotential patientsBenzodiazepinesPrescribingPatient identificationIndividualized recommendationsMixed-methods studyAdultsCliniciansDoseVeterans
2021
Benzodiazepine Prescribing from VA and Medicare to Dually Enrolled Older Veterans: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Lei L, Strominger J, Wiechers IR, Kim HM, Blow FC, Bohnert ASB, Min L, Krein SL, Maust DT. Benzodiazepine Prescribing from VA and Medicare to Dually Enrolled Older Veterans: A Retrospective Cohort Study. Journal Of General Internal Medicine 2021, 36: 3689-3696. PMID: 34047924, PMCID: PMC8642498, DOI: 10.1007/s11606-021-06780-y.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsBZD prescriptionOlder veteransBZD prescribingHigher oddsPart DVeterans Affairs Health Care SystemRetrospective cohort studyPart D coverageMedicare Part D prescriptionsSubstance use disordersHealth care systemDesignRetrospective cohortPrescription prevalenceQuarterly prevalenceBenzodiazepine prescribingPart D prescriptionsCohort studyPatient characteristicsBZD useUse disordersFacility variationOlder agePrescribingBZDCare systemComment on “Do Benzodiazepines Cause Alzheimer’s Disease?”
Maust DT, Wiechers IR. Comment on “Do Benzodiazepines Cause Alzheimer’s Disease?”. American Journal Of Psychiatry 2021, 178: 205-206. PMID: 33517758, DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2020.20070989.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2020
Benzodiazepine Use among Medicare, Commercially Insured, and Veteran Older Adults, 2013–2017
Maust DT, Kim HM, Wiechers IR, Ignacio RV, Bohnert ASB, Blow FC. Benzodiazepine Use among Medicare, Commercially Insured, and Veteran Older Adults, 2013–2017. Journal Of The American Geriatrics Society 2020, 69: 98-105. PMID: 32951209, PMCID: PMC7856043, DOI: 10.1111/jgs.16825.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2018
Prescription Benzodiazepine Use Among Older Adults
Gerlach L, Wiechers I, Maust D. Prescription Benzodiazepine Use Among Older Adults. Harvard Review Of Psychiatry 2018, 26: 264-273. PMID: 30188338, PMCID: PMC6129989, DOI: 10.1097/hrp.0000000000000190.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsUse of benzodiazepinesOlder adultsAvailable evidenceAnxiety disordersPsychological symptomsPlacebo-controlled trialPubMed/MEDLINETreatment of insomniaYears of ageImproved sleep outcomesBZD useFuture trialsPsychotropic medicationsBenzodiazepine useClinical indicationsChronic benzodiazepinesInclusion criteriaBehavioral disturbancesEligibility criteriaElectronic databasesSleep outcomesPsychiatric conditionsSystematic reviewTreatment alternativesBenzodiazepines
2017
National Trends in Antidepressant, Benzodiazepine, and Other Sedative-Hypnotic Treatment of Older Adults in Psychiatric and Primary Care.
Maust DT, Blow FC, Wiechers IR, Kales HC, Marcus SC. National Trends in Antidepressant, Benzodiazepine, and Other Sedative-Hypnotic Treatment of Older Adults in Psychiatric and Primary Care. The Journal Of Clinical Psychiatry 2017, 78: e363-e371. PMID: 28448697, PMCID: PMC5408458, DOI: 10.4088/jcp.16m10713.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsPrimary care providersPrimary carePain diagnosisCare providersOlder adultsClinical characteristicsNational Ambulatory Medical Care SurveyNon-Hispanic white patientsAmbulatory Medical Care SurveyMental healthCommon psychotropic medicationsOutpatient physician visitsPrimary care visitsUse of antidepressantsMental health treatmentCare visitsMedication usePhysician visitsWhite patientsPsychotropic medicationsCare SurveyPsychotropic useHealth treatmentVisit ratesAntidepressants
2016
No End in Sight: Benzodiazepine Use in Older Adults in the United States
Maust DT, Kales HC, Wiechers IR, Blow FC, Olfson M. No End in Sight: Benzodiazepine Use in Older Adults in the United States. Journal Of The American Geriatrics Society 2016, 64: 2546-2553. PMID: 27879984, PMCID: PMC5173408, DOI: 10.1111/jgs.14379.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsMental health diagnosesBenzodiazepine useBenzodiazepine usersOlder adultsNonpsychiatrist physiciansNational Ambulatory Medical Care SurveyVisit ratesAmbulatory Medical Care SurveyAnnual visit rateHealth diagnosisEffective alternative treatmentCross-sectional analysisPatient ageOutpatient encountersClinical mental health diagnosisCare SurveyVisit characteristicsChronic usersAlternative treatmentYoung adultsVisitsDecades of evidenceOverall proportionAdultsSafety concerns