P0105 - Increased Use of Benzodiazepine-like hypnotics is associated with fewer hospital treatment episodes for psychiatric disorders caused by sedatives / hypnotics

Abstract

Background and Aims:

To test the association between the use of sedative/hypnotic medication and in-patient episodes of psychiatric disorders caused by sedatives/hypnotics.

Method:

Annual sales statistics of sedatives/hypnotics in Sweden between 1998 – 2004 were retrieved from the Swedish Corporation of Pharmacies and information about misuse defined as episodes of in-patient treatment of psychiatric disorders caused by sedatives/hypnotics was retrieved from the Swedish Hospital Discharge Register.

Results:

The use of sedatives/hypnotics increased by 31 %. Of the sedatives/hypnotics, benzodiazepines decreased by 49% and benzodiazepine-like hypnotics increased by 100%. These changes were each significantly (p<0.01) associated with a decrease (33%) of episodes for in-patient treatment of psychiatric disorders caused by sedatives/hypnotics. There was no significant association between the increased use of sedatives/hypnotics and the decrease (2.8 %) of episodes of psychiatric care caused by other psychiatric disorders.

Conclusion:

The benzodiazepine-like hypnotics successively replaced the benzodiazepines for hypnotic use. The associated reduction of psychiatric treatment episodes for misuse provides support for the benzodiazepine-like hypnotics to be less liable to misuse than the benzodiazepines.