Citation

Oster G, Huse DM, Adams SF, Imbimbo J, Russell MW. Am. J. Public Health 1990; 80(12): 1467-1470.

Affiliation

Policy Analysis Inc., Brookline, MA 02146.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1990, American Public Health Association)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

1978581

PMCID

PMC1405109

Abstract

To determine whether benzodiazepine tranquilizers increase the risk of accidental injury requiring medical attention, we used pharmacy claims submitted to a large third-party payer to identify 4,554 persons who had been prescribed these agents and a matched control group of 13,662 persons who had been prescribed drugs other than benzodiazepines. We then used diagnoses recorded on claims submitted by medical care providers to identify all accident-related care received by these persons during three months before their first-observed prescription for a benzodiazepine or nonbenzodiazepine agent, respectively, and six months subsequently. We found accident-related care was more likely among persons who had been prescribed benzodiazepines; among these persons, the probability of an accident-related medical encounter was higher during months in which a prescription for a benzodiazepine had recently been filled compared to other months; and persons who had filled three or more prescriptions for these agents in the six months following initiation of therapy had a significantly higher risk of an accident-related medical event than those who had filled only one such prescription. Approximately two-fold risks of accident-related care were found, after controlling for age, sex, and prior utilization.