Completed

NCT Number: NCT00268775

Implementation Strategies for a Simple Intervention to Reduce Longterm Benzodiazepine Use in Dutch Community Pharmacies

The purpose of this study is to compare the effect of two implementation strategies for a simple patient-directed intervention to reduce long-term benzodiazepine use in Dutch community pharmacies.

Completed

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Key information

Conditions

Benzodiazepines Therapeutic Use

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Apotheek Cleij, 's-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands

About this study

In Dutch community pharmacies many projects have been undertaken in the field of pharmaceutical care, with mixed results. It is not yet clear which elements exactly contribute to the success of these projects and to implementation of pharmaceutical care.

One of the subjects to which attention is paid in community pharmacies, is the undesirable long-term use of benzodiazepines. Treatment methods for discontinuation of long-term benzodiazepine use have been studied rather extensively. A simple patient-directed discontinuation letter proved to be effective in several studies.

Comparison: a minimal intervention group (pharmacists carrying out the intervention guided by a manual only) compared to a maximal intervention group (pharmacists receiving a manual, a training aimed at better cooperation and communication with family practitioners and some support in the management of the project).

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

benzodiazepine use for more than 3 months in the last 12 months AND for more than 60 days in the last 2 months

Exclusion criteria

treatment by psychiatrist, treatment of alcohol- or drug misuse, psychotic episodes in history, epilepsy, terminal disease, not mastering the Dutch language, individual criteria used by the family practitioner

Treatment and study plan

training and follow-up of pharmacists

Behavioral

patient-directed discontinuation letter

Behavioral

Primary outcomes

percentage of general practitioners that reviewed and returned the list of longterm users.
percentage of letters sent by the pharmacists in the four months after receiving the manual.
percentage of long-term benzodiazepine users that managed to quit or significantly reduce their use in months 0-3, 4-6 and 10-12 after receiving the letter.

Secondary outcomes

evaluation of the implementation strategies

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Radboud University Medical Center

Other

Collaborators

Scientific Institute for Dutch Pharmacists, The Netherlands
Zorgverzekeraar CZ

Registry information

Official study title

Implementation Strategies Aimed at a Simple Patient-directed Intervention to Reduce Long-term Use of Benzodiazepines in Dutch Community Pharmacies

Important dates

Study start: 2005
Primary completion: 2006
Study completion: 2006
First posted: Dec 22, 2005
Registry last updated: Aug 18, 2009

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.