From 2013 to 2024, benzodiazepine prescribing dropped by more than 25%, according to a study
published in
The American Journal of Psychiatry. Decreases were seen across all age groups but were particularly notable among young adults under 30.
Why It’s Relevant
Benzodiazepines are a widely prescribed class of medication used in the treatment of conditions such as anxiety, insomnia, and pain. However, there are significant concerns about their sedative properties, particularly when given to older adults, and their overdose risks, particularly when used alongside opioids.
By the Numbers
- From 2013 to 2024, the number of individuals in the United States who received at least one benzodiazepine prescription that year dropped from 7.5% to 5.5%, while the number of prescriptions filled per year dropped from 104.4 million to 76.4 million.
- Among adults, the largest relative decline was among those 18 to 29 (from 4.1% to 2.3%, a 44.8% drop), while the smallest was among adults 65+ (from 13.9% to 10.7%, a 22.6% drop).
- Benzodiazepine prescriptions dropped by 10.1% in children and adolescents, but overall use in this group was low (0.5% in 2024).
- Primary care physicians, psychiatrists, neurologists, and pain medicine specialists all reduced their benzodiazepine dispensing between 2013 and 2024. However, prescriptions from advanced practice providers doubled during this period (from 12 million in 2013 to 24.2 million in 2024).
The Other Side
Though the IQVIA Longitudinal Prescription dataset used in the analysis is comprehensive, it’s not complete—for example, it lacks information from inpatient hospitals. The researchers were also unable to examine trends among different racial/ethnic groups or different medical conditions, which would help identify more specific areas for intervention.
Takeaway Message
These findings suggest that overall, health professionals have become more aware of benzodiazepines’ risks and have responded with more cautious prescribing. The researchers noted there was a heightened decline in prescribing for multiple age groups after 2016, when the FDA added the first
black-box warning to avoid co-prescribing benzodiazepines with opioids.
Related Information
Source
Naomi Cruz, et al. National trends in benzodiazepine dispensing.
The American Journal of Psychiatry. Published September 30, 2026. doi:
10.1176/appi.ajp.20251346
(Image: Getty Images/iStock/Supitnan Pimpisarn)