The total number of sleeping pills prescribed in Taiwan in 2014 hit a record high of 339 million, an increase of 12 million compared with the previous year, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday.
The agency said the increase in the number of pills, if lined up, would be about the same length as the 12.9km-long Hsuehshan Tunnel (雪山隧道), adding that people should try to adopt a sound sleep hygiene habits, use sleeping pills safely and reasonably, to avoid iatrogenic addiction — addiction caused by medical treatment.
According to the agency, 339 million sleeping pills were prescribed in 2014, with Zolpidem being the most widely used drug, of which a total of 137.09 million pills were prescribed, followed by Estazolam (86.08 million) and Zopiclone (28.74 million).
In order to ensure safe and reasonable use of sleeping pills, the agency began an examination project in 2011, which found that prescription of Zolpidem dropped from 161.04 million pills in 2011 to 137.09 pills in 2014.
However, usage of other types of sleeping pills, including Estazolam, Brotizolam, Triazolam, Zaleplon and Zopiclone all increased each year between 2010 and 2014, so the agency has decided to add the use of Brotizolam and Zopiclone as key points in its examination project.
FDA Division of Controlled Drugs head Ho Shu-hui (何淑惠) said: “The main consumer of sleeping pills are elderly people … and clinically, most of the sleeping pills prescribed for elderly people are short-acting, to prevent them from getting injured if they wake up in the night to use the restroom.”
Women older than 80 are the most common users of short-acting sleeping pills — non-Benzodiazepine drugs, sometimes referred to as “Z-drugs” — followed by women aged between 60 and 79, Ho said.
Lan Tsuo-hung (藍祚鴻), director of the Psychiatry Department at Taichung Veterans General Hospital, said studies have shown that 25 percent of people aged between 65 and 79 have sleeping problems, but the physiological need for sleep gradually reduces as people grow older, so they do not necessarily need up to eight hours of sleep every day.
Some elderly people mistakenly believe they suffer from insomnia because they find themselves unable to sleep for eight hours and wake up during sleep, so they tend to rely on sleeping pills, Lan said, adding that people should find the reason behind sleeping disorders, such as stress or illness, and try to solve the issue without use of medication.
The agency said sleeping pills are controlled drugs and must be prescribed by doctors, so people should seek medical advice from specialized doctors to find the reason for sleeping disorders, and take medication according to their doctor’s instructions.
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