{
  "id": 6470635,
  "title": "Initial Rx length tied to long-term use of Z-drugs",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/09/initial-rx-length-tied-to-long-term-use-of-z-drugs",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-09-09T20:20:10.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Medical Xpress",
    "slug": "medical-xpress",
    "url": "https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-rx-length-term-drugs.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A research letter published in JAMA Network Open suggests that patients who receive a longer initial prescription of Z-drugs, such as zolpidem, eszopiclone, or zaleplon, are more likely to continue taking the medication long-term. The study, led by Jonathan N. Cloughesy from the University of Southern California, analyzed data from 129,287 patients who received a prescription for Z-drugs between 2007 and 2024. The mean initial prescription length was 27 days.\n\nPatients who initially received a 1- to 14-day supply had a 15.6% chance of filling an additional Z-drug prescription within the first year, compared to 38.1% for those who received a 25- to 34-day supply and 49.5% for those with a prescription of 35 days or more (the adjusted risk difference for 25-34 days versus 1-14 days was 22.4 percentage points). This trend persisted over time, with fill rates declining as the initial supply length increased. At seven years, 7.9% of patients who received a 1- to 14-day supply had filled a Z-drug prescription, compared to 18.9% of those with a prescription of 35 days or more (the adjusted risk difference for 25-34 days versus 1-14 days was 7.6 percentage points).\n\nThe study also found that patients with larger initial supplies were more likely to receive at least a 180-day supply of Z-drugs, and they received a greater mean annual supply of the medication. Cloughesy emphasized the importance of cautious prescribing when starting patients on sleep medications like Z-drugs, as the first prescription may significantly influence long-term use.",
  "summary": "Patients who receive a longer initial Z-drug prescription are more likely to fill additional prescriptions after the index fill year, including up to seven years later, according to a research letter published online Sept. 3 in JAMA Network Open.",
  "key_points": [
    "Patients with longer initial Z-drug prescriptions are more likely to continue long-term use.",
    "1- to 14-day supply had 15.6% chance of filling another prescription within a year.",
    "35-day or longer supply had 49.5% chance of filling another prescription within a year."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}