The American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) has made available for public comment a draft of its Clinical Practice Guideline on Benzodiazepine Tapering . The deadline to submit comments will be July 19, 2024. Please see below for more information and instructions. 

Overview

Benzodiazepines (BZDs) are commonly prescribed, and FDA approved to treat a wide range of conditions including anxiety and mood disorders, insomnia, and seizures. BZD use is associated with increased risk for adverse events including falls, motor vehicle accidents, cognitive impairment, and overdose (particularly when BZD are used in combination with opioids). Patients who have been taking BZD for longer than a month should not abruptly discontinue the medication, but rather should gradually taper the dosage over a period of time under clinical supervision. This guideline aims to assist clinicians in helping patients safely taper their BZD medication, while minimizing withdrawal symptoms and associated risks.

This guideline was developed in partnership with the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of Neurology, the American Academy of Physician Associates, the American College of Medical Toxicology, the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, the American Association of Psychiatric Pharmacists, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American Geriatrics Society, and the American Psychiatric Association.

This project is funded by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). 

Instructions for Review

1. Download the Draft Guideline

2. Provide Comments

Comments will be collected through a survey to facilitate reconciliation of feedback. A preview of the survey can be found here. When providing your comments, please include the page and line number (not a range, just a single number) in the appropriate boxes. If your comment refers to a range of line numbers, you only need to indicate the first line number within the range. To make a general comment about the document as a whole, put 0 for page and line numbers. You can provide up to 100 comments. If you would like to provide additional comments, you can submit the survey again. Feedback must be submitted through this survey to be considered. This document will be professionally copyedited prior to finalization.

Note: The system does not allow you to save your progress to return later. Always submit your response before exiting. If you have additional comments at a later time, you can reenter the survey and submit a new response.

3. Complete a Disclosure Form

If you have any questions, please contact Taleen Safarian at tsafarian@asam.org. Thank you in advance for your participation in this important initiative. We look forward to your feedback.