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Dr. Thomas Kerr, professor of medicine at UBC, echoed those sentiments: “Too often, we’re looking for an answer in a pill, and too often, we neglect other treatment options.”

Both doctors noted that there is very little evidence to support long-term use of BZDs.

“The interesting thing about this is that it’s a prescription drug and people think they’re safe,” Ahamad said. “But as it turns out, we’re probably prescribing these drugs in a way that’s leading to harm.”

Kerr noted that the rise in BZD-related deaths — “It’s been an epidemic brewing for many, many years” — very closely mirrors a rise in opioid-related deaths that has been widely documented. He cited a fourfold increase in BZD-related deaths in the United States between 1999 and 2014, and also noted that there are 50 per cent more deaths each year in the U.S. due to psychiatric medicine than heroin.

“These studies really reveal how very dangerous these drugs are, and they should be used with great caution,” Kerr said. “We can’t just focus on opioids, we need to look at other medications that are used in combination.”

Ahamad believes much of the onus is on doctors to be properly educated before prescribing BZDs. He also acknowledged that the lack of family doctors has led to many people visiting walk-in clinics, where patient records may not accurately record an individual’s drug or treatment history. Kerr noted there also needs to be a strengthening in how prescriptions are monitored and prescribed.

“There are risks that come with these medications and we need to be very, very careful about how we’re prescribing them,” Ahamad said.

The studies were published in Public Health Reports and the American Journal of Public Health and can be found online here and here.

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