MEDICAL HERBS: ALTERNATIVE TOOL IN BENZOADIZEPINICOS DEPENDENT WEANING GROUP AND PAIN IN THE UBS

Introduction / objective: Benzodiazepines (BZD) account for about 50% of all prescription psychotropic drugs, most of this done by general practitioners (1). There are significant socioeconomic costs associated with prolonged use of BZD as accident risk, antisocial attitudes, reduced work capacity and costs of hospitalization (2). The literature shows the importance of seeking alternatives and health actions that promote proper use of benzodiazepines in health services (3). Psychosocial groups in this regard are management strategies of patients with harmful / abuse and BZD-dependent in primary care (4). The National Policy on Integrative and Complementary Practices in the Unified Health System (SUS), phytotherapy is presented as an option to be implemented in healthcare practice (2). Method: In the central region UBS has existed for three years, a BZD‘s weaning group, coordinated by a psychologist and a psychiatrist, who held 10 weekly meetings of an hour and a half. The objective of this group is to offer the user the increase in its repertoire of responses to anxiety and / or insomnia through the use of medicinal herbs. Results and conclusions: The implementation of medicinal herbs such as valerian, lemon grass and lemon balm has been shown to be important therapeutic alternative to BZD‘s weaning aid, and may potentiate the actions and health care in primary care.