Effectiveness of a Joint General Practitioner-Pharmacist Intervention on Benzodiazepine Deprescribing in the Elderly

Summary

Benzodiazepines or related drug (BZDR) are consumed for hypnotic or anxiolytic purposes in most cases. The consequences of BZDR are multiple with an increased risk of daytime sedation, balance disorders leading to falls and fractures, cognitive disorders, road accidents and dementia. Given their comorbidities, physiological changes, and multiple medications, the elderly are more at risk of suffering from BZDR adverse events. Interprofessional collaboration has shown efficacy in improving prescribing appropriateness and may affect patients outcomes positively. Morever, motivational interviews (MI) may reduce the extent of substance abuse compared to no intervention.

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

* outpatients aged 65 and over
* followed by the general practitioner and the pharmacist of the GP-PO pair
* having a prescription for an anxiolytic or hypnotic BZDR prescribed at least 4 times in the past year
* the last prescription being less than 3 months old
* having been dispensed monthly during the last 3 months
* affiliated to a social security scheme
* and having given consent to participate in the research.

Exclusion Criteria:

* patients living in an institution
* participating in a clinical trial
* with epilepsy
* active depression
* uncontrolled mental disorders
* unable to participate in an interview or answer a questionnaire (demented, non-French speaking, illiterate, deaf, ...)
* under guardianship
* with a dystonic syndrome
* and patients who are not sufficiently autonomous to carry out the steps inherent in the study

Conditions6

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