Abstract
Introduction: the CDC guidelines of 2016 and 2022 strongly proscribed the co-prescription of opioids and benzodiazepines, implicitly suggesting that the combination was associated with high risk. This position now strongly influences health provider organizations, clinicians, pharmacies, health insurance companies, and boards of medicine. We have previously comprehensively reviewed the generally high-quality published studies, all employing a retrospective cohort design. These studies suggest that, to the extent that the combination increases mortality risk, the magnitude of the increase is small and it likely reflects a conflation of mortality risk related to the underlying conditions and the risks associated with simultaneous use of drugs of both classes. We here recapitulate the results of our prior analyses, contrast them with CDC positions, and introduce the results of additional studies, some only recently published and some of which we had previously been unaware.
Published Version
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