Introduction — This topic includes links to society and government-sponsored guidelines from selected countries and regions around the world. We will update these links periodically; newer versions of some guidelines may be available on each society's website. Some societies may require users to log in to access their guidelines.
The recommendations in the following guidelines may vary from those that appear in UpToDate topic reviews. Readers who are looking for UpToDate topic reviews should use the UpToDate search box to find the relevant content.
Links to related guidelines are provided separately. (See "Society guideline links: Opioid use disorder and withdrawal" and "Society guideline links: Alcohol use disorders and withdrawal" and "Society guideline links: Cannabis use disorder and withdrawal" and "Society guideline links: Stimulant use disorder and withdrawal".)
Canada
●Choosing Wisely Canada: Don't routinely continue benzodiazepines initiated during an acute care hospital admission without a careful review and plan of tapering and discontinuing, ideally prior to hospital discharge (2023)
●Choosing Wisely Canada: Don't use benzodiazepines or other sedative-hypnotics in older adults as first choice for insomnia (2023)
●Choosing Wisely Canada: Don't prescribe or dispense benzodiazepines without building a discontinuation strategy into the patient’s treatment plan (except for patients who have a valid indication for long-term use) (2020)
●The Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatments (CANMAT): Recommendations for the management of patients with mood disorders and comorbid substance use disorders (2012)
United States
●National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA): Benzodiazepines and opioids (2022)
●American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM): National practice guideline for the treatment of opioid use disorder, focused update (2020)
●American Psychiatric Association (APA): Practice guideline for the pharmacological treatment of patients with alcohol use disorder (2018)
●American College of Physicians (ACEP): Position paper on health and public policy to facilitate effective prevention and treatment of substance use disorders involving illicit and prescription drugs (2017)
●US Department of Veterans Affairs/Department of Defense (VA/DoD): Clinical practice guideline for the management of substance use disorders (2015)
●APA: Guideline watch − Practice guideline for the treatment of patients with substance use disorders, 2nd edition (2007)
•APA: Practice guideline for the treatment of patients with substance use disorders, 2nd edition (2006)
●Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA): A Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) for detoxification and substance abuse treatment (2006)
●SAMHSA: A Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) for substance abuse treatment for persons with co-occurring disorders (2005)
United Kingdom
●National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE): Guideline for medicines associated with dependence or withdrawal symptoms – Safe prescribing and withdrawal management for adults (2022)
●NICE: Quality standard on drug misuse prevention (2018)
●NICE: Guideline on drug misuse prevention − Targeted interventions (2017)
●NICE: Guideline on controlled drugs − Safe use and management (2016)
●NICE: Quality standard on drug use disorders in adults (2012)
●NICE: Clinical guideline on coexisting severe mental illness (psychosis) and substance misuse − Assessment and management in healthcare settings (2011)
Australia–New Zealand
●Choosing Wisely Australia: Use a 'universal precautions' approach for all psychoactive medications that have known potential or liability for abuse including opioids, benzodiazepines, antipsychotic medications, gabapentinoids, cannabinoids and psychostimulants
●South Australia Health (SA Health): Substance misuse and dependence (2023)
●Royal Australian & New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP): Guidance for the use of benzodiazepines in psychiatric practice (2019)
●Choosing Wisely Australia: Do not continue benzodiazepines, other sedative hypnotics or antipsychotics in older adults for insomnia, agitation or delirium for more than three months without review (2018)
●Choosing Wisely Australia: Do not prescribe benzodiazepines for low back pain (2018)
●Choosing Wisely Australia: Avoid prescribing benzodiazepines to patients with a history of substance misuse (including alcohol) or multiple psychoactive drug use (2015)
