Report Reveals Patterns of Potentially Unsafe Use of Zolpidem

Despite FDA recommendations that the hypnotic zolpidem be used for short-term treatment of insomnia, most patients report sustained use, according to areport published today inJAMA Internal Medicine. The report also found evidence that women may be taking zolpidem above the recommended dose.In 2013 the FDA recommended that manufacturers of some zolpidem products update their medication labels to lower the recommended initial dose of the medication for women after evidence at the time suggested that women eliminate zolpidem more slowly from their bodies than men. The FDA informed manufacturers that the recommended dose of zolpidem for women should be lowered from 10 mg to 5 mg for immediate-release products (Ambien, Edluar, and Zolpimist) and from 12.5 mg to 6.25 mg for extended-release products (Ambien CR); the FDA recommended that health care professionals also consider prescribing the lower doses for men, according to the2013 safety announcement.“These precautions were intended to reduce the risks of next-day impairment, abnormal behavioral changes, and dependency,” study authors Thomas J. Moore, A.B., of the Institute for Safe Medication Practices and Donald R. Mattison, M.D., M.S., of Risk Sciences International in Ottawa, Canada, exp lained in theJAMA Internal Medicine report. Moore and Mattison used the U.S. Medical Expenditure Panel Survey for 2015 to examine how patterns of reported use compared with the FDA recommendations.Overall, 3.8 million adults aged 18 to 8...
Source: Psychiatr News - Category: Psychiatry Tags: Ambien Ambien CR Donald R. Mattison Edluar FDA insomnia JAMA Internal Medicine Thomas J. Moore zolpidem Zolpimist Source Type: research