Benzodiazepines Policy Posted or Updated on 13 Dec 2023

We as a practice are often asked to prescribe medications to help with anxiety surrounding flying and for procedures to be undertaken within hospitals or dental surgeries.

The prescribing of these medications for the purposes of travel is no longer considered best practice and there are a range of alternative non-medical routes that are available to help patients conquer their fear of flying.

These are easily found online, or our reception team can provide this information.

Specifically for medical procedures we follow the latest guidance, in conjunction with the Somerset LMC not to prescribe sedation to alleviate anxiety in these situations.

Therefore, if you feel that sedation is necessary, you need contact the medical team who have requested the procedure / scan for you.

Guidance from the Royal College of Radiologists (Safe Sedation, Analgesia and Anaesthesia within the Radiology Department) do have very specific recommendations including the use of benzodiazepines in sedation for radiological investigations. As such it is the responsibility of the Clinician requesting the scan to issue a prescription.

The guidance can be found at:

https://www.rcr.ac.uk/sites/default/files/publication/Safe_Sedation.pdf

Our position around prescribing for medical interventions is not meant to be ‘obstructive’ but adhering to our duty of care to provide safe, consistent, and appropriate care for our patients. We have the full support of our statutory representative body, Somerset LMC, in holding this position.

The Partners

Crown Medical Centre

(Dec 2023)