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A study published in BMJ Open reported an association between the use of several commonly used sedative drugs and an increase in the risk of dying from a number of causes.
Nina Barnett Royal Pharmaceutical Society spokesperson on older persons medicines, said:
“This is an important study and although it is unlikely to radically change prescribing in the immediate term, it should raise awareness and remind both patients and prescribers to the potential risks of sedative use for insomnia.
“The association between mortality and sedation is not new and this research tells us is that people who took these medicines were more likely to die than people who didn’t take them. However it does not mean that the deaths were caused by the medicine.
“Patients should not stop taking any prescribed medicines straight away. If you are concerned about your medicines discuss this with your pharmacist or Doctor about other ways of getting help with sleep problems so you don’t have to use medicines.”
”Hypnotics’ association with mortality or cancer: a matched cohort study’ by Dr Daniel Kripke et al., published in BMJ Open on 27 February 2012.