Medical Professionals Reference (MPR)Benzodiazepine Use Has Plateaued in Older Adults

ℹ️ Observational Association Only Evidence

Analysis of national prescription claims found benzodiazepine prescribing declined from 2015 through 2019 before plateauing between 2020 and 2024. Despite overall reductions, long-term use remained common and dispensing increased in long-term care settings after 2020.

Clinical Considerations

• Benzodiazepine use declined from 14.1 to 11.5 per 100 persons between 2015 and 2019 before flattening.
• Nearly 24.9 million older adults filled at least one benzodiazepine prescription during the study period.
• Approximately one-third of users received long-term benzodiazepine therapy throughout the analysis.
• Adults aged 75 years and older experienced smaller prescribing reductions than younger older-adult cohorts.

Practice Applications

• Review chronic benzodiazepine therapy during routine medication assessments.
• Recognize persistent long-term utilization among adults aged 75 years and older.
• Monitor benzodiazepine use patterns in long-term care populations.
• Interpret prescribing trends alongside patient-specific risk-benefit considerations.