Veterans Who Died From An Opioid Overdose Were Probably Also On Benzodiazepines

First Posted: Jun 12, 2015 11:20 AM EDT

New findings published in the BMJ reveal that close to half of all veterans who died from drug overdoses were also prescribed benzodiazepines for pain, which are commonly used to treat anxiety, alcohol withdrawal and insomnia.

"The risk of receiving both opioids and benzodiazepines during this six-year period was approximately four times higher than in those who received opioids alone," said Tae Woo Park, M.D., attending physician at Rhode Island Hospital, in a news release. "From a public health perspective, this is deeply troubling, because drug overdoses are a leading cause of death in the U.S. and prescribing benzodiazepines to patients taking opioids for pain is quite common. In 2010, 75 percent of pharmaceutical-related drug-overdose deaths involved opioids. As we learn more about pharmaceuticals and how they interact with each other, we can try to reduce the risk of harm to patients."

Researchers used information from the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), the largest health care system in the U.S., which serves close to nine million former military personnel across 150 hospitals and 800 outpatient centers, examining records of veterans who had died from drug overdoses while receiving medical services at outpatient centers at the VHA between October 2004 and September 2009.

Although illicit drug use is lower among U.S. military personnel, heavy alcohol and tobacco use, as well as prescription drug use, are higher.

Health officials and advocates feel that the problem can be better addressed by increasing the use of evidence-based prevention and treatment interventions while simultaneously expanding access to care, according to a 2012 report prepared by the Institute of Medicine (IOM Report.)

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TagsHealth, Human, Drugs, Medication, Substance Abuse, Veterans, War, Benzodiazepines, Overdose, Treatment, Insomnia, Alcohol Withdrawal, Military