Croyard Medical Practice will not prescribe diazepam for patients having MRI scans, dental or other investigative procedures. We have a duty of care to provide safe, consistent, and appropriate care for our patients. Some of the reasons why are outlined below, and are based on the advice from Medical Defence organisations and the relevant professional bodies.
- Small doses of benzodiazepines such at 2mg diazepam are probably sub-therapeutic for most adults for effective sedation. Conversely, anxiolytics can have an paradoxical response and even very small doses can cause increased agitation in some subsets of patients.
- A patient may take a sedative ‘an hour’ before their assumed procedure, to then attend the hospital to find their procedure has been delayed, therefore the timing of the anxiolytic being sub optimal.
- In procedures where formal consent is required, you may be considered unable to provide this if under the influence of a sedating medicine.
- GPs are not regularly involved, skilled, trained, or appraised in sedation skills.
- All Hospital consultants, both those requesting imaging and those providing it, have access to the same prescribing abilities as GPs. If a patient needs a certain medication to enable an investigation to go ahead, they are just as well positioned to provide a prescription, either through the hospital pharmacy or a hospital FP10.
- If your dentist considers you to need sedation for a procedure they will be able to provide this themselves. Where this isn't possible your dentist will be able to refer you to an alternative centre where this can be safely undertaken.
References:
https://www.rcr.ac.uk/our-services/all-our-publications/clinical-radiology-publications/sedation-analgesia-and-anaesthesia-in-radiology-third-edition/
