Quebec doctors to face increased scrutiny for overprescription of anti-anxiety medication

The misuse of benzodiazepines is sparking concern in Quebec and prompting the college of physicians to increase its scrutiny of doctors who overprescribe them. 

Benzos, as they are colloquially called, are a class of drugs prescribed to treat anxiety, among other disorders. They include brand name drugs like Valium, Xanax and Ativan.

But experts say they can have dangerous side effects and can be habit-forming, especially when misused. 

"These medications are intended for short-term use for insomnia or anxiety," said Camille Gagnon, a pharmacist and associate director of the Canadian Network for Appropriate Medication Use and Deprescription.  

"What we're concerned about is that most people do not use them for short term, in fact they use them for months or years."  

Gagnon said about one in 10 people in Canada have a prescription for benzodiazepines. 

Twelve people who spoke to Radio-Canada's Enquête said they were prescribed the drugs by a doctor, but most said they were not warned about side effects, including life-altering withdrawal symptoms.

"There were no warnings about long-term hazards, the dangers of discontinuing treatment," said Jérémie Morin, a supervisor in a water treatment plant who turned to benzodiazepines to cope with the difficulty of alternating day and night shifts. 

His doctor gave him a prescription for 0.5-milligram tablets of lorazepam, a benzodiazepine drug used to treat anxiety disorders, that he could take, and renew, as much as he wanted.

But he quickly became dependent. His personality changed; he became anxious, worried and afraid of open spaces. 

So he stopped taking the drugs, but then the withdrawal symptoms hit. He felt constantly panicked and afraid. 

"There was no way to relax, no way to unwind," he said. Without his partner's support, he would surely have died by suicide, he said. "I'd even given her the keys to my gun safe, because I'd reached that point."

James-Dean Trepanier said he became addicted to benzos without knowing what he was taking. 

After a gallbladder operation, he said his doctor offered him what he described as a muscle relaxant.