Good News on Opioid-Benzodiazepine Coprescription: It's Rare

Anecdotal evidence suggests that providers often prescribe centrally acting benzodiazepine sedatives in combination with opioids for back pain and other conditions, despite the risks for respiratory depression.

To determine the frequency of benzodiazepine-opioid coprescription, investigators reviewed a national database of emergency department visits.

From 2006 to 2012, 16% of ED patients received an opioid prescription, and 1.4% received a benzodiazepine prescription. Only 2.7% of visits with an opioid prescription also had a benzodiazepine prescription. Coprescription of these agents was 20 times more likely at visits with a psychiatric diagnosis than other visits. Coprescription was 3.71 times more likely for patients with musculoskeletal …