Benzodiazepines are very widely prescribed in general practice. They have very effective anti-anxiety, sedative, anticonvulsant, and muscle-relaxant properties. Enormous divergence exists between best-practice guidance, which generally recommends short-term use at the lowest possible dose for severe anxiety or insomnia, and the reality of general practice, where very large numbers of patients are known to be prescribed these drugs on a long-term basis, at high dosages, and for less than ‘severe’ indications.
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