Increased falls and ED visits with combined benzodiazepines + opioids

New evidence sheds additional light on the risks inherent to combined opioid/benzodiazepine treatment. In a cross-sectional study of 517 adults with musculoskeletal pain and current prescriptions for long-term opioid therapy, 25% had concurrent benzodiazepine and opioid prescriptions over a year. Benzodiazepines were more commonly prescribed for those with anxiety disorders, PTSD and bipolar disorder, and prescriptions were associated with a greater number of falls and emergency department visits. The results, published in the journal Pain Medicine, should not surprise anyone, and yet the practice persists at a cost to the individuals and the health care system. More here