The half-century anniversary of phenazepam, the pioneer of a new scientific direction in national medicine “Military psychopharmacology”

Phenazepam is one of the first benzodiazepine derivatives synthesized in the USSR and introduced into medical practice in 1974. Its development was part of the work of Odesa scientists in the field of medicinal chemistry, pharmaceutics and psychopharmacology. The drug was created jointly at the Odesa State University named after I.I. Mechnikov and the Physico-Chemical Institute of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR for the treatment of neuroses, anxiety states, insomnia, as well as for achieving a sedative and anti-anxiety effect. For a long time, phenazepam tablets (0.5 mg) were used as a standard means of medical aid for security forces and civil defense forces in the USSR. The drug is still used today, although in some countries, the use of phenazepam is restricted due to potential health risks. The work systematizes scientific sources and presents brief information related to the creation and medical use of phenazepam. It has been found that, despite the long history of using benzodiazepines, attitudes towards them remain negatively biased and often lack a scientific evidence base. There are increasing calls to return to the discussion of benzodiazepine use in medical practice, with the observance of clear definitions and conceptual rigor in the comments on them. A general conclusion is made that the benefits of benzodiazepines within the limits of proper medical practice far outweigh their side effects.