Benzodiazepine Guidance

Important information - Practice Policy on Prescribing Sedation For Hospital or Dental Procedures

We have experienced an increase in the number of requests from our hospital or dental colleagues, or directly from our patients, asking us to prescribe sedation (such as diazepam) prior to undergoing a hospital or dental procedure or investigation.

At Broomhill and Lodge Moor Surgeries, we will not prescribe sedation for patients who are due to undergo a hospital or dental procedure or investigation.

There are several reasons why we have taken this decision:

Current national guidance from the Royal College of Anaesthetists, Royal College of Radiology and the Intercollegiate Advisory Committee for sedation in Dentistry recommends that sedation should be prescribed and monitored by the clinical team carrying out the investigation or procedure requiring sedation.

Benzodiazepines can cause respiratory depression in some patients. It is important that patients who are given sedation prior to a procedure are appropriately monitored to ensure there are no serious complications.

Although most people respond to benzodiazepines like Diazepam with sedation, a small proportion experiences the opposite effect and can become aggressive. They can also lead to disinhibition and make you behave in ways you normally wouldn’t, which may put you in danger.

We request that all patients who have been advised they require sedation by their hospital or dental teams to obtain the appropriate prescription directly from the responsible clinician.

For more information please see the following links:

www.rcoa.ac.uk/sites/default/files/documents/2022-06/12-SedationExp2021web.pdf

www.rcr.ac.uk/our-services/all-our-publications/clinical-radiology-publications/sedation-analgesia-and-anaesthesia-in-the-radiology-department-second-edition/

www.saad.org.uk/IACSD%202020.pdf

Updated 04/05/2024

Privacy Notice CQC Travel Advice Facilities Health Advice Practice Leaflet Patient Group

Important information - Practice Policy on Prescribing Benzodiazepines (e.g. Diazepam) For Fear of Flying

At Broomhill and Lodge Moor Surgeries, we will not prescribe Diazepam for patients who wish to use this for a fear of flying.

There are several reasons why we have taken this decision:

Diazepam is a sedative. This means, the medication makes you sleepy and more relaxed. If there would be an emergency during the flight, this could impair your ability to concentrate, follow instructions, or react to the situation. This could seriously affect the safety of you and the people around you.

Sedative drugs can make you fall asleep, however, when you sleep it is an unnatural non-REM sleep. This means, your movements during sleep are reduced and this can place you at an increased risk of developing blood clots (DVT). These blood clots are very dangerous and can even prove fatal. This risk further increases if your flight is over 4 hours long.

Although most people respond to benzodiazepines like Diazepam with sedation, a small proportion experiences the opposite effect and can become aggressive. They can also lead to disinhibition and make you behave in ways you normally wouldn’t. This could also impact on your safety and the safety of your fellow passengers or could lead you to get in trouble with the law.

National prescribing guidelines followed by doctors also don’t allow the use of benzodiazepines in cases of phobia. Any doctor prescribing diazepam for a fear of flying would be taking a significant legal risk as this goes against these guidelines. Benzodiazepines are only licensed for short-term use in a crisis in generalised anxiety. If this is the problem you suffer with, you should seek proper care and support for your mental health, and it would not be advisable to go on a flight.

In several countries, diazepam and similar drugs are illegal. They would be confiscated, and you might find yourself in trouble with the law for being in control of an illegal substance.

Diazepam has a long half-life. This means it stays in your system for a significant time and you may fail random drug testing if you are subjected to such testing as is required in some jobs.

We appreciate that a fear of flying is very real and very frightening and can be debilitating. However, there are much better and effective ways of tackling the problem.

We recommend you tackle your problem with a Fear of Flying Course, which is run by several airlines.

For more information please follow the links below

NHS Website https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/phobias/treatment/

Easy Jet http://www.fearlessflyer.easyjet.com

British Airways http://www.flyingwithconfidence.com

Virgin https://flyingwithoutfear.co.uk

Updated 01/01/2023