Table 1 Characteristics of the 156,554 individuals who were prescribed at least once zolpidem and/or zopiclone from 01.10.2018 to 01.10.2021 in Greece

Z-drug

Zolpidem (ATC: N05CF02)

130,815

83.6%

Zopiclone (ATC: N05CF01)

13,846

8.8%

Both

11,893

7.6%

Age

Age in years

75 years, IQR [63; 84]

≥65 years old

114,472

73.1%

Sex

Female

101,045

64.5%

Male

55,509

35.5%

Region

Attika

54,297

34.7%

Thessaloniki

14,825

9.5%

Other

87,432

55.8%

Sleep disorders

Sleep disorders (ICD-10: G47)

63,861

40.8%

Nonorganic sleep disorders (ICD-10: F51)

49,257

31.5%

Any sleep disorder (ICD-10: G47 and/or F51)

100,406

64.1%

Psychiatric disorder (other than sleep disorder)

Depression (ICD-10: F32, F33)

19,795

12.6%

Anxiety (ICD-10: F40, F41)

61,112

39.0%

Anxiety and/or depression (ICD-10: F32, F33, F40, F41)

72,894

46.6%

Any psychiatric disorder (ICD-10: F1-F9; except dementia and sleep disorder)

84,034

53.7%

Co-prescribed medications (ATC) ^a

Opioid analgesics (ATC: N02A)

4959

3.2%

Nonopioid analgesics (ATC: N02B)

17,491

11.2%

Antiepileptics (ATC: N03A)

5161

3.3%

Antipsychotics (ATC: N05A)

8419

5.4%

Anxiolytics (ATC: N05B)

52,992

33.8%

Antidepressants (ATC: N06A)

21,025

13.4%

Any co-prescribed medication (any ATC)

120,589

77.0%

No co-prescribed anxiolytics and/or antidepressants in individuals with anxiety and/or depression (i.e., 72,894) ^a

33,094

45.4%

Prescribed physician

Prescriptions only by psychiatrists or neurologists

23,598

15.1%

At least one prescription by psychiatrist or neurologists

13,863

8.9%

Prescriptions only be medical specialties other than psychiatrists and neurologists

119,093

76.1%

Frequency of prescriptions for Z-drugs within the three-year period

Number of patients with  more than one prescription

103,082

65.8%

Number of prescriptions in patients with  more than one prescriptions (in 53,472 individuals)

8 prescriptions, IQR [3,17]