RWD251 ASSOCIATION OF INITIAL Z-DRUG PRESCRIPTION DURATION AND LONG-TERM USE
Z-drugs, including zolpidem, zaleplon, and eszopiclone, are medications prescribed to help patients initiate and maintain sleep. Despite being marketed as alternatives to benzodiazepines, Z-drugs have similar risk profiles and can result in an elevated risk of dependence, falls and fractures, and motor vehicle accidents. For this reason, clinical guidelines indicate that Z-drugs should not be used for more than 4-5 weeks. However, Z-drugs are commonly prescribed in durations that exceed these guidelines.
Authors
- Johanna Thunell (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3361-4933)
- Jonathan N. Cloughesy (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6531-038X)
- Mark D. Sullivan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4396-6038)
- Stephen D. Persell (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2462-1314)
- Jason N. Doctor (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3661-8745)
- Xiaofan Liu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7868-6589)
- Jeffrey A. Linder
Institutions
- Northwestern University (US)
- University of Southern California (US)
- University of Washington (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Value in Health Regional Issues
- Published
- 2025-10-01
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vhri.2025.101401
- Primary Topic
- Sleep and related disorders
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00