CKS is no longer commissioned by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). NICE remains committed to providing a replacement service for CKS and is currently reviewing its options. In the meantime, although CKS content is now not being maintained, it still remains relevant and will continue to be made available. CKS content was generated under a programme of topic creation and update. To check if the topic you are viewing is current or out of date, please refer to the topic publication details by clicking on the 'How up-to-date is this topic?' link in the left hand menu on individual topic pages.
Benzodiazepine and z-drug withdrawal - Background information
How commonly are benzodiazepines and z-drugs prescribed?
- Despite warnings regarding the long-term use of benzodiazepines or z-drugs, approximately 15.5 million prescriptions are still issued for these drugs in primary care each year [CSM, 1988; DH, 2004; MeReC, 2005]. Of concern, 56% of prescriptions for the three most commonly prescribed benzodiazepines were for people older than 65 years of age [DH, 2004].
© NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement