Missing data were replaced

by a negative answer for the latter analyses, A chi-square test was used when comparing groups while McNemar’s test was used to examine changes within groups from baseline to post-intervention for categorical variables. Independent t-tests were used to compare TSA HDAC concentration groups while paired t-tests were used to examine changes within groups from baseline to post-intervention for continuous variables. The statistical significance for all analyses was set at p < 0.05 (two-sided). SPSS Version 20.0 (SPSS Inc. Chicago, IL, USA) was used for all analyses. Participants were recruited from 12 pharmacies. The response rate to the mailed invitation to enroll in the study among eligible participants identified by their pharmacists was 15%. A total of 144 participants who received the educational intervention

are included in this analysis. Table 1 shows demographic, general health status and prescription-related characteristics of the entire cohort at baseline. Participants were mostly female (73%), had an average age of 75, and the majority (83%) had no formal college or university education. Half of all participants BTK inhibitor research buy had previously attempted benzodiazepine discontinuation, 25% of whom had successfully weaned off the drug at some point. Post-intervention, 45.1% (n = 65) of participants reported increased perceived risk from consumption of benzodiazepines. There were no statistical differences in baseline characteristics between individuals perceiving an increased risk (RISK) and those with no perceptions of increased

risk (NO RISK), except for a trend showing a shorter duration of benzodiazepine use among the RISK group (p = 0.08) ( Table 1). Knowledge about benzodiazepines was similar between groups at baseline. Changes in knowledge both within and between risk groups are described in Table 2. Eighty percent (52/65) of participants in the RISK group changed an answer from incorrect to correct on at least one knowledge question from pre- to post-intervention compared to only 41% (33/79) in the NO RISK group. The Methane monooxygenase RISK group demonstrated a significantly higher proportion of correct answers post-intervention on the safety, side effects and alternatives questions compared to the NO RISK group (p < 0.001). Only participants in the RISK group who had the potential for knowledge acquisition showed a statistically significant increase on the overall knowledge score (mean change score 1.77 SD (1.3)). The change in overall score was significantly greater among these individuals in the RISK group post-intervention compared to the NO RISK group (mean change score 0.91 95% CI (0.5, 1.3)). Beliefs about benzodiazepines were similar between groups at baseline. Table 3a and Table 3b show changes in beliefs about the necessity, perceived negative consequences, and risk-benefit ratio of benzodiazepine use.