Article
Details
Citation
Best CS, Matheson C, Robertson J, Ritchie T, Cowden F, Dumbrell J, Duncan C, Kessavalou K, Woolston C & Schofield J (2024) Association between benzodiazepine coprescription and mortality in people on opioid replacement therapy: a population-based cohort study. BMJ Open, 14. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2023-074668
Abstract
Objective To investigate the association between opioid
replacement therapy (ORT) and benzodiazepine (BZD)
coprescription and all-cause mortality compared with the
prescription of ORT alone.
Design Population-based cohort study.
Setting Scotland, UK.
Participants Participants were people prescribed ORT
between January 2010 and end of December 2020 aged
18 years or above.
Main outcome measures All-cause mortality, drug-related deaths and non-drug related deaths.
Secondary outcome ORT continuous treatment duration.
Analysis Cox regression with time-varying covariates.
Results During follow-up, 5776 of 46 899 participants
died: 1398 while on coprescription and 4378 while on ORT
only. The mortality per 100 person years was 3.11 during
coprescription and 2.34 on ORT only. The adjusted HR for
all-cause mortality was 1.17 (1.10 to 1.24). The adjusted
HR for drug-related death was 1.14 (95% CI, 1.04 to 1.24)
and the hazard for death not classified as drug-related was
1.19 (95% CI, 1.09 to 1.30).
Conclusion Coprescription of BZDs in ORT was
associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality,
although with a small effect size than the international
literature. Coprescribing was also associated with longer
retention in treatment. Risk from BZD coprescription
needs to be balanced against the risk from illicit BZDs
and unplanned treatment discontinuation. A randomised
controlled trial is urgently needed to provide a clear clinical
direction.
Trial registration number NCT04622995
Journal
BMJ Open: Volume 14
Status | Published |
---|---|
Funders | |
Publication date | 14/03/2024 |
Publication date online | 14/03/2024 |
Date accepted by journal | 09/02/2024 |
URL | |
eISSN | 2044-6055 |
People (2)
Associate Professor, Health Sciences Stirling
Professor in Substance Use, NMAHP