Application of pharmacological principles to benzodiazepine therapy.

The benzodiazepines are a group of drugs which have recently received considerable adverse publicity from within the media, much of which is undeserved. It is not unusual for drugs to produce these strong reactions from within both the professional and the general community. This paper examines the validity of the benzodiazepines in clinical practice and suggests rational guidelines for their continued use based on the clinical pharmacology of the compounds concerned.