Benzodiazepine prescription for patients in treatment for drug use disorders: a nationwide cohort study in Denmark, 2000–2010

Table 2 Characteristics of patients at the time of admission into treatment for DUDs, by prescription and dose category of benzodiazepines

	No prescription of benzodiazepines 1 year after admission		Prescription of benzodiazepines 1 year after admission in moderate-high doses <584 DDD^a		Prescription of benzodiazepines 1 year after admission in very high doses ≥584 DDD^a		p value
	N	(%)	N	(%)	N	(%)
Number of individuals	24498		6528		2177
Age in years at admission date, mean (SD)		29.2 ± 9.7		35.3 ± 10.7		41.0 ± 9.5	<0.001
Gender							<0.001
Male	18884	77.1	4630	70.9	1512	69.5
Female	5614	22.9	1898	29.1	665	30.5
Primary drug use at admission							<0.001
Cannabis	9212	37.6	1193	18.3	84	3.9
Opioids	5011	20.4	2639	40.4	1166	53.6
Methadone or buprenorphine	1236	5.0	955	14.6	594	27.3
Heroin	3454	14.1	1458	22.3	463	21.3
Other opioids	321	1.3	226	3.5	109	5.0
Benzodiazepines	213	0.9	207	3.2	83	3.8
Central stimulating drugs^b	3648	14.9	534	8.2	50	2.3
Other illicit drugs/unknown	6414	26.2	1955	29.9	794	36.5
Psychiatric treatment received in 1 year prior to admission^c	4148	16.9	1782	27.3	430	19.8	<0.001
Prescription of benzodiazepines 1 year prior to admission	2464	10.1	4113	63.0	2026	93.1	<0.001

Abbreviations: DUDs, drug use disorders; DDD, Defined Daily Dose
^aIntake of 1 DDD daily of benzodiazepines in a 1 year period results in a total intake of 365 DDD
^bAmphetamine, cocaine, and MDMA
^cInformation obtained from the Danish Psychiatric Central Research Register

ISSN: 1471-244X