Posted by Meri-Tuuli on April 3, 2006, at 15:53:49
In reply to Re: So If You Live In The UK? » yxibow, posted by ed_uk on April 3, 2006, at 15:48:07
Ed.
Wow, I didn't know that! Sigh. But aren't benzos 'safer' than SSRIs?? I mean, they have been around a very long time. Certainly, SSRIs haven't been around that long.
I wonder if it is the same in other European countries??
M
> Hi Yxi
>
> At one point, benzodiazepine prescribing was used as one of several factors which were used to compare 'good prescribing' between primary care trusts in England. Areas in which benzo prescribing was high were assigned the lowest 'marks'.
>
> GPs may try to force patients off benzos in order to meet NHS targets and improve their ratings.
>
> Benzophobia is extreme in the UK. One GPs I saw sneered 'I never prescribe drugs like THAT'. He even had the cheek to tell me than my pdoc should never have prescribed me a benzo.
>
> Most English doctors believe that the long term use of benzos is never valuable and that patients must be withdrawn ASAP. Withdrawing from benzos is (rather nauseatingly) seen as a great necessity, even in people who are apparantly doing well on benzos. Having taken a benzo seems to be viewed as something to keep quite about. Almost as if it was shameful.
>
> Ed
>
>
>
poster:Meri-Tuuli
thread:627071
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20060403/msgs/628340.html