Efficacy of two interventions on the discontinuation of benzodiazepines in long-term users: 36-month follow-up of a cluster randomised trial in primary care.
Caterina Vicens: Balearic Health Service - IB-Salut, Son Serra-La Vileta Health Care Centre; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Palma, Palma, Spain.
Ermengol Sempere: Valencian Health Service - Conselleria de Sanitat Universal i Salut Pública, Paterna Health Care Centre, Valencia, Spain.
Ferrán Bejarano: Catalunya Health Services - Institut Català de la Salut; DAP Camp de Tarragona, Catalunya, Spain.
Isabel Socias: Balearic Health Service - IB-Salut, Manacor Health Care Centre, Manacor, Spain.
Catalina Mateu: Balearic Health Service - IB-Salut, Son Serra-La Vileta Health Care Centre; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Palma, Palma, Spain.
Francisca Fiol: Balearic Health Service - IB-Salut, Son Serra-La Vileta Health Care Centre, Palma, Spain.
Vicente Palop: Valencian Health Service - Conselleria de Sanitat Universal i Salut Pública, La Ribera Hospital, Valencia, Spain.
Marta Mengual: Catalunya Health Services - Institut Català de la Salut; Falset Health Care Centre, Catalunya, Spain.
Silvia Folch: Catalunya Health Services - Institut Català de la Salut; Constantí Health Care Centre; Catalunya, Spain.
Guillem Lera: Valencian Health Service - Conselleria de Sanitat Universal i Salut Pública, La Ribera Hospital, Valencia, Spain.
Josep Basora: Catalunya Health Services - Institut Català de la Salut; Reus Health Care Centre, Catalunya, Spain.
Alfonso Leiva: Primary Care Research Unit of Mallorca, Baleares Health Services - IB-Salut, Palma; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Palma, Spain.
BACKGROUND: Primary care interventions that promote cessation of benzodiazepine (BZD) use in long-term users are effective at 1 year, but their efficacy at 3 years is uncertain. AIM: To assess the 3-year efficacy of two primary care interventions delivered by GPs on cessation of BZD use in long-term users. DESIGN AND SETTING: Multicentre, three-arm, cluster randomised, controlled trial, with random allocation at the GP level. METHOD: Seventy-five GPs and 532 patients were randomly allocated to three groups: usual care (control), structured intervention with stepped-dose reduction and follow-up visits (SIF), or structured intervention with written stepped-dose reduction (SIW). The primary outcome was BZD use at 36 months. RESULTS: At 36 months, 66/168 patients (39.2%) in the SIW group, 79/191 patients (41.3%) in the SIF group, and 45/173 patients (26.0%) in the control group had discontinued BZD use. The relative risks (RR) adjusted by cluster were 1.51 (95% CI = 1.10 to 2.05; P = 0.009) in the SIW group and 1.59 (95% CI = 1.15 to 2.19; P = 0.005) in the SIF group. A total of 131/188 patients (69.7%) who successfully discontinued BZD use at 12 months remained abstinent at 36 months. The groups showed no significant differences in anxiety, depression, or sleep dissatisfaction at 36 months. CONCLUSION: The interventions were effective on cessation of BZD use; most patients who discontinued at 12 months remained abstinent at 3 years. Discontinuation of BZD use did not have a significant effect on anxiety, depression, or sleep quality.
