Table 2.

Prescriptions of benzodiazepines, Z-hypnotics or opioid analgesics for elderly patients during direct (DC) and indirect (IC) GP-patient contacts by physician-, practice- and patient characteristics. Quintiles (Q1–Q5) are by number of GPs.

	Number of BZO-prescriptions for patients ≥70 years	Percentage of prescriptions during ICs [95% CI]
Total Prescribers	N = 28,659	61.9% (n = 17,740) [61.3–62.5]
Male (n = 97)	20,743	61.8% [61.1–62.5]
Female (n = 51)	7916	62.1% [61.0–63.2]
Age Group
Q*1 (29–42 years)	3879	64.9% [63.3–66.4]
Q2 (43–48 years)	5239	60.9% [59.6–62.2]
Q3 (49–53 years)	6897	59.0% [57.8–60.2]
Q4 (54–56 years)	5251	67.1% [65.8–68.4]
Q5 (57–65 years)	7393	60.1% [59.0–61.2]
Practices
Single handed practice	2594	60.4% [58.5-62.3]
Group practice (92.6%)	26,065	62.1% [61.5–62.7]
Rural location (58.1%)	15,465	63.1% [62.3–63.9]
Urban location (41.9%)	13,194	60.5% [59.7–61.3]
Number of listed patients, total
Q1 (516–1081)	4123	66.8% [65.3–68.2]
Q2 (1082–1254)	6498	61.9% [60.7–63.1]
Q3 (1255–1433)	6245	60.6% [59.4–61.8]
Q4 (1434–1608)	4745	62.6% [61.2–64.0]
Q5 (1609–3224)	7048	59.7% [58.5–60.9]
Number of listed patients ≥70
Q1 (28–78)	2324	61.0% [59.0–63.0]
Q2 (79–122)	4017	62.2% [60.7–63.7]
Q3 (123–159)	5520	61.0% [59.7–62.3]
Q4 (160–212)	7033	61.9% [60.8–63.0]
Q5 (213–435)	9765	62.5% [61.5–63.5]
Total consultations (8 months)
Q1 (144–1519)	3709	70.4% [68.9–71.9]
Q2 (1520–1900)	5119	63.6% [62.3–64.9]
Q3 (1901–2211)	6102	61.4% [60.2–62.6]
Q4 (2212–2551)	5640	60.6% [59.3–61.9]
Q5 (2552–4458)	8089	58.2% [57.1–59.3]
Patients
Males (n = 2685)	7534	61.6% [60.5–62.7]
Females (n = 6682)	21,125	62.0% [61.3–62.7]
Age 70–79 years (49.2%)	14,343	58.8% [58.0–59.6]
Age ≥80 years	14,316	65.0% [64.2–65.8]

^*Q denotes quintile.