Prescription of Sedative Hypnotics in Psychiatric and Somatic Inpatients

Abstract: Benzodiazepines (BZD) and Z-drugs (ZD) are often prescribed to treat psychiatric disorders. Despite the risk of dependency and serious adverse events, they are increasingly prescribed to outpatients. Yet little is known about the prescription to inpatients. In this article, we analyze the BZD and ZD prescription patterns in the routine data of 913 psychiatric and somatic inpatients treated in Bochum, Germany. BZD were prescribed more often as regular medication in psychiatry and ZD in somatic hospitals. ZD were more often used on demand, by female patients, and combined with other substances. Both were frequently prescribed to older adults, especially as part of somatic treatment and in combination with opioids. Prescription of sedative hypnotics is frequent in psychiatric and somatic inpatients. Their use seems to be partially independent of recorded psychiatric indications.