{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,20]],"date-time":"2026-06-20T05:16:51Z","timestamp":1781932611815,"version":"3.54.5"},"reference-count":40,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,10,4]],"date-time":"2024-10-04T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1728000000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Scottish Government Drug Deaths Taskforce RF15"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Pharmacy"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Many countries are experiencing an increased use of unregulated benzodiazepines in combination with opioids and other drugs, which contributes to drug-related harm. This descriptive review identifies and synthesises the outcomes of studies co-prescribing benzodiazepines and opioids. A systematic review was undertaken in Medline, CINAHL, PsychInfo, Embase, and the Cochrane databases covering publications from 1 January 1991 to 18 November 2021. Inclusion criteria were peer reviewed, English language studies of adults prescribed opioid agonist treatment (OAT) and a concurrent benzodiazepine, and reporting outcome data. Of the 4370 titles screened, 18 papers were included. The main outcomes identified covered all-cause mortality (ACM) (n = 5); overdose death (n = 3); retention in treatment (n = 7); and hospitalisation\/emergency department encounters (n = 2). Other outcomes included QTc interval, cognitive function, illicit drug use, and mental health. The prescription of benzodiazepines alongside OAT increased the ACM by 75\u201390%, while evidence on overdose death was less robust but indicative of increased risk (40\u2013334%). There was an indicative positive effect on treatment retention, with increased retention in those prescribed a benzodiazepine with OAT compared to those not prescribed or taking non-prescribed benzodiazepines. In conclusion, methodologically robust epidemiological studies found increased ACM and overdose death but possibly improved retention. However confounders (e.g., psychiatric comorbidity) exist, so a trial is recommended.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/pharmacy12050152","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,10,4]],"date-time":"2024-10-04T06:00:57Z","timestamp":1728021657000},"page":"152","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":9,"title":["Clinical Outcomes of Benzodiazepine Prescribing for People Receiving Opioid Agonist Treatment: A Systematic Review of the Evidence"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"12","author":[{"given":"Catriona","family":"Matheson","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Applied Social Science, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Chris","family":"Vucic","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Applied Social Science, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Josh","family":"Dumbrell","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Applied Social Science, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8237-816X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Roy","family":"Robertson","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"The Usher Institute, BioQuarter, Little France, Edinburgh EH16 4UX, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5409-700X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Trina","family":"Ritchie","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Glasgow Alcohol and Drug Recovery Services, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Glasgow G1 1DH, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Clare","family":"Duncan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"NHS Ayrshire and Arran, 35 Lister Street, Crosshouse Hospital, Kilmarnock KA2 0BE, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Karthigayan","family":"Kessavalou","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"NHS Ayrshire and Arran, 35 Lister Street, Crosshouse Hospital, Kilmarnock KA2 0BE, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Caroline","family":"Woolston","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"NHS Ayrshire and Arran, 35 Lister Street, Crosshouse Hospital, Kilmarnock KA2 0BE, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1307-2375","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Joe","family":"Schofield","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Medicine, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 9TF, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,10,4]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"109244","DOI":"10.1016\/j.drugalcdep.2021.109244","article-title":"Significant toxicity following an increase in poisonings with designer benzodiazepines in The Netherlands between 2010 and 2020","volume":"231","author":"Essink","year":"2022","journal-title":"Drug Alcohol Depend."},{"key":"ref_2","unstructured":"National Records of Scotland (2022, December 05). 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