A study published in BMJ found that pharmacist-led educational interventions, including patient education, and medication review may improve the discontinuation of benzodiazepines and closely related sedative-hypnotics. The study included a systematic review and meta-analysis of 49 randomized controlled trials involving more than 39,000 patients, most of whom were around 50 years old.
The review found limited evidence that other interventions, such as tapering, physician education, cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness, or drug-assisted tapering, helped patients discontinue these drugs. Researchers stated that the evidence collected may be biased and imprecise; the results were primarily limited to individuals in their 50s and did not account for patients with significant mental health conditions.