In a randomized clinical trial (NCT02790476), Doctor et al1 studied the effect of notifying physicians of a patient’s fatal drug overdose within 12 months of a scheduled drug prescription for that patient. The physicians received an injunction to prescribe safely from their county’s medical examiner. This intervention was associated with reductions in overall, high-dose, and new opioid prescriptions. In this article, we evaluate the association of these letters with benzodiazepine prescribing, which also contribute to drug deaths.2
Spoiler Alert: Doctors who received letter notifying them that their patients died of opioids changed their future prescribing practice for opioid AND benzodiazepines.
Kelley MA, Lev R, Lucas J, et al. Association of Fatal Overdose Notification Letters With Prescription of Benzodiazepines: Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Intern Med. 2022;182(10):1099–1100. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2022.3372
