{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,17]],"date-time":"2026-09-17T12:00:41Z","timestamp":1789646441036,"version":"4.0.0"},"reference-count":31,"publisher":"Oxford University Press (OUP)","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,11,22]],"date-time":"2021-11-22T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1637539200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/journals\/pages\/open_access\/funder_policies\/chorus\/standard_publication_model"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100000348","name":"Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100000348","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2022,3,24]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Chronic benzodiazepine use is a challenge in primary care practice. Protocols to support safe discontinuation are still needed, especially in countries with high utilization rates.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Objectives<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>To evaluate the feasibility, effectiveness, and safety of a benzodiazepine discontinuation protocol in primary care setting.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Nonrandomized, single-arm interventional study, at primary care units. Family physicians (FPs) recruited patients (18\u201385 years-old) with benzodiazepine dependence and chronic daily use \u22653 months. Patients with daily dosages \u226530 mg diazepam-equivalent, taking zolpidem, with a history of other substance abuse or major psychiatric disease were excluded. After the switch to diazepam, the dosage was gradually tapered according to a standardized protocol. Primary endpoint was the percentage of patients who stopped benzodiazepine at the intervention last visit. Dosage reduction, withdrawal symptoms, patients\u2019 and FPs\u2019 satisfaction with the protocol were evaluated.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>From 66 enrolled patients (74% female; 66.7% aged &amp;gt;64 years; median time of benzodiazepine use was 120 months), 2 withdrew due to medical reasons and 3 presented protocol deviations. Overall, 59.4% of participants successfully stopped benzodiazepine (60.7% when excluding protocol deviations). Men had higher probability of success (relative risk = 0.51, P = 0.001). A total of 31 patients reported at least 1 withdrawal symptom, most frequently insomnia and anxiety. Most of participating FP considered the clinical protocol useful and feasible in daily practice. Among patients completing the protocol, 77% were satisfied. For the patients who reduced dosage, 85% kept without benzodiazepines after 12 months.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The discontinuation protocol with standardized dosage reduction was feasible at primary care and showed long-term effectiveness.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1093\/fampra\/cmab143","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,10,19]],"date-time":"2021-10-19T20:19:15Z","timestamp":1634674755000},"page":"241-248","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":16,"title":["Discontinuation of chronic benzodiazepine use in primary care: a nonrandomized intervention"],"prefix":"10.1093","volume":"39","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6603-5092","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Milene","family":"Fernandes","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Instituto de Medicina Preventiva e Sa\u00fade P\u00fablica, Faculdade de Medicina\u2014Universidade de Lisboa, Av. 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