Research on Health and Medicine Described by Researchers at National University La Plata (Benzodiazepine and Z-drug consumption in a national social security organization in Argentina: rational or excessive use?): Health and Medicine

2021 NOV 19 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- Investigators publish new report on health and medicine. According to news reporting out of National University La Plata by NewsRx editors, research stated, “Benzodiazepines and ‘Z-drugs’ (BZD/Z) are overprescribed in many countries.”

The news reporters obtained a quote from the research from National University La Plata: “This study evaluates their consumption in a social security sector health insurance provider with national coverage in Argentina. With a descriptive and observational approach, outpatient dispensations of BZD/Zs were analyzed for people over 18 years old from April 2020 to March 2021, disaggregated by sex, age, active ingredient, and half-life. An annual prevalence of use of 11.6% was found among the 431,445 adult affiliates, with higher rates in women and in those over age 60. Overall consumption of BZD/Zs was 77.6 defined daily doses (DDD) per 1000 enrollee-days. The average user received 5.1 annual dispensations and the equivalent of 1.4 DDD for each day of the year. BZD/Zs with long half-life were the most used.”

According to the news editors, the research concluded: “We found high levels of BZD/Z consumption and for longer periods than recommended. It is necessary to improve the quality of consumption and reduce the negative impact of inappropriate use of these drugs among treated individuals.”

For more information on this research see: Benzodiazepine and Z-drug consumption in a national social security organization in Argentina: rational or excessive use?. Salud Colectiva, 2021,17():e3583-e3583. (Salud Colectiva - http://revistas.unla.edu.ar/saludcolectiva). The publisher for Salud Colectiva is Instituto de Salud Colectiva, Universidad Nacional de Lanus.

A free version of this journal article is available at https://doi.org/10.18294/sc.2021.3583.

Our news journalists report that more information may be obtained by contacting Gustavo Marin, Universidad Nacional de La Plata.

(Our reports deliver fact-based news of research and discoveries from around the world.)