Benzodiazepines and opioid medications are the drugs that are most commonly associated with pharmaceutical overdoses. Patients prescribed benzodiazepines and opioids simultaneously are at an even higher risk of opioid overdoses. As such, clinical guidelines recommend against co-prescribing these two classes of medications. Despite such guidelines, doctors whose patients are prescribed opioid and benzodiazepines simultaneously struggle with abiding with such recommendations because of patients’ resistance, the apparent clinical stability of the patient and not wanting to “rock the boat” and because they worry that discontinuing either treatment would be complicated.
Access “Survey of Primary Care and Mental Health Prescribers’ Perspectives on Reducing Opioid and Benzodiazepine Co-Prescribing Among Veterans” at: https://pcssnow.org/survey-of-primary-care-and-mental-health-prescribers-perspectives-on-reducing-opioid-and-benzodiazepine-co-prescribing-among-veterans/
More information can be found here:
https://www.samhsa.gov/data/report/benzodiazepines-combination-opioid-pain-relievers-or-alcohol-greater-risk-more-serious-ed