The number of residents with a benzodiazepine dispensed (with Long-Term Care flag) during 90 days preceding the index date (a resident’s last service date in the quarter). 

Inclusions:

1. Oral benzodiazepines for at least 90 days.
2. Benzodiazepine drug can be any drug from list (i.e., change to a different benzodiazepine throughout 90 days is included).
3. The grace period, which is the number of days between the end of one prescription and the start of the next prescription, was defined as 1.5 times the number of days supplied for the prescription.

Cohort Inclusions:

1. To be included in the OHIP/ODB cohort a resident must have any combination of two records from the Ontario Health Insurance Plan or Ontario Drug Benefit databases.  The OHIP records are for services provided in LTC; the ODB claims must have the LTC flag.
2. Valid ICES key number.
3. Ontario Resident at index date.
4. Adults aged less than 115 years at index date.
5. Death date less than seven days before index date.
6. Institute type must be a nursing home (NH) or home for the aged (HF)
7. Resident must be linked to a physician referred to as Most Responsible Physician.

Exclusions:        

1. Age 65 or less on index date
2. Residents with palliative care in past six months
3. Residents new to their LTC home (less than 100 days in home)
4. Residents in a physician’s group with five or fewer residents within the LTC home (apply this exclusion ONLY when stratifying rates by physician)