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TaperOffBenzos

Benzodiazepine Prescribing in Louisiana

Medicare Part D, 2013–2024.

Benzodiazepine prescribing in Louisiana fell 7.4% between 2013 and 2024 — a slower fall than the country as a whole. In 2024 the state recorded 672,102 Medicare Part D benzodiazepine claims across 130,121 patients, an average of 5.17 fills per patient per year, which ranks 8 of 51 states. Alprazolam accounts for 43.2% of it.

672,102
Claims, 2024
130,121
Patients, 2024
5.17
Fills per patient
-7.4%
Since 2013

Louisiana over twelve years

799k722k644k201320192024
Medicare Part D benzodiazepine claims in Louisiana, 2013–2024

Which benzodiazepines Louisiana prescribes

DrugClaims 2024Share
Alprazolam290,28143.2%
Clonazepam166,25024.7%
Lorazepam96,70114.4%
Diazepam65,3919.7%
Temazepam45,6236.8%

Psychiatric prescribers in Louisiana

253 psychiatric prescribers in Louisiana appear in the 2024 Medicare Part D data with benzodiazepine claims. 34 of them recorded at least a 50% fall in benzodiazepine claims since 2019. Sorted by change, largest reduction first.

This is a record, not a recommendation. A fall in Medicare benzodiazepine claims has many possible explanations — a changing patient panel, retirement, a shift to another payer, or simply dropping below the threshold CMS publishes. It does not establish that a prescriber supports tapering, and a low number does not mean they will take you as a patient. Use it as one input, then ask the five vetting questions.

PrescriberCity20192024Change
Gopinath KongaraPsychiatryBaton Rouge67719-97.2%
Mark TownsendPsychiatryNew Orleans56117-97%
Tawfik Mukhtar-BenghoziPsychiatryAlexandria44820-95.5%
Angela JubertPsychiatry & NeurologyNew Orleans30516-94.8%
Josephine SabharwalPsychiatryNew Orleans32619-94.2%
Sylvia WorrellNeuropsychiatryHarvey18713-93%
Burl ForgeyPsychiatry & NeurologyBaton Rouge1,113113-89.8%
Jason BroussardPsychiatryShreveport38242-89%
Lindsay LegnonPsychiatryLafayette10612-88.7%
Enrique FlechasPsychiatryBaton Rouge74098-86.8%
Scott MayersPsychiatryLafayette13619-86%
Edwin UrbiPsychiatryAlexandria56089-84.1%
Kristoffer MccoyPsychiatryLafayette10218-82.4%
Jeremy ClaibornePsychiatryShreveport21740-81.6%
Lalitha AllaPsychiatryNatchitoches13325-81.2%
Michael PrejeanPsychiatryMamou893192-78.5%
Suresh SabbenahalliPsychiatryShreveport9623-76%
Frederic HendersonPsychiatryMetairie704183-74%
Nirmala InduruPsychiatryMarrero4414-68.2%
Herbert VandenbergPsychiatryRuston4314-67.4%
Hyon KimPsychiatryMandeville16356-65.6%
Ronnie TaravellaPsychiatry & NeurologyBaton Rouge12545-64%
Mark SandsPsychiatryMetairie15958-63.5%
Guy BrannonPsychiatryShreveport5219-63.5%
Girishkumar ShahPsychiatryHammond6424-62.5%
Larry WarnerPsychiatryBaton Rouge14355-61.5%
David GalarneauPsychiatryNew Orleans22997-57.6%
Melissa WatsonPsychiatryBaton Rouge9542-55.8%
Catherine McdonaldPsychiatry & NeurologyLafayette12556-55.2%
Rachel CsakiPsychiatrySlidell705319-54.8%
Abdul KhanPsychiatryBaton Rouge6429-54.7%
Christopher GuedryPsychiatryNew Orleans3516-54.3%
Peter GoertzPsychiatryNew Orleans495243-50.9%
Patrick WheatPsychiatryNatchitoches402200-50.2%
Frank WeinholtPsychiatryWest Monroe837423-49.5%
Claudia CuervoPsychiatryLafayette280143-48.9%
Anwar IsmailPsychiatryKenner1,163603-48.2%
Oladapo FolarinPsychiatryAlexandria7138-46.5%
Lloyd BellahPsychiatryShreveport474254-46.4%
Richard KutnerPsychiatrySlidell5531-43.6%
Balminder MangatPsychiatryBogalusa396234-40.9%
Vininder KhunkhunPsychiatryNew Orleans6639-40.9%
Josephus BarnesPsychiatry & NeurologyNew Orleans317188-40.7%
Nicholas PejicPsychiatry & NeurologyNew Orleans12675-40.5%
Renee BrunoPsychiatry & NeurologyBaton Rouge11569-40%
Juan LabadiePsychiatryMarrero12978-39.5%
Philip LandryPsychiatryOpelousas497301-39.4%
Janet Seligson-DowiePsychiatry & NeurologySlidell3320-39.4%
Navin PatelPsychiatryBaton Rouge10665-38.7%
Calvin WalkerPsychiatryMonroe12577-38.4%
Anupama AtluriPsychiatryBaton Rouge939589-37.3%
Carol MurphyPsychiatryBaton Rouge184120-34.8%
Bennett NwankpaPsychiatry & NeurologyMetairie8153-34.6%
Charles BramletPsychiatryLafayette1,107731-34%
Milton AndersonPsychiatryNew Orleans8255-32.9%
Charles ChesterPsychiatryMetairie240163-32.1%
Mario ValenciaPsychiatryLake Charles246171-30.5%
Robert BlanchePsychiatryBaton Rouge570397-30.4%
Lowery ThompsonPsychiatry & NeurologyWest Monroe2316-30.4%
Ravindra ReddyPsychiatryNew Orleans2,0671,484-28.2%
Brandi GilmorePsychiatryRaceland206149-27.7%
Franklin HarrisPsychiatryBaton Rouge509371-27.1%
Vesela TzonevaPsychiatryShreveport3022-26.7%
Christopher MeyersPsychiatryNew Orleans191143-25.1%
David DawesPsychiatryLafayette926702-24.2%
Anshuman JyotiPsychiatry & NeurologyShreveport134110-17.9%
Alfredo TorresPsychiatryMonroe730608-16.7%
James BarbeePsychiatry & NeurologyNew Orleans695581-16.4%
Robert AnciraPsychiatryNew Orleans2,9302,470-15.7%
Jasjit SinghPsychiatryShreveport125106-15.2%
Bob WinstonPsychiatryLafayette217185-14.7%
Suzanne CalhounPsychiatryBaton Rouge7464-13.5%
Kimberly LawPsychiatryShreveport1,6311,412-13.4%
Michael KnightPsychiatryNew Orleans1,2311,067-13.3%
Trent DessellePsychiatryNew Orleans354312-11.9%
Muhammad AhmedPsychiatryNew Orleans592530-10.5%
Denis DevenportPsychiatryLa Place590528-10.5%
Chandra KattaPsychiatryBaton Rouge582530-8.9%
Edgardo ConcepcionPsychiatryLafayette2,9352,691-8.3%
Philipp SackPsychiatryNew Orleans495460-7.1%
Julie CeasarPsychiatryMetairie1,4701,384-5.9%
Barbara HammNeuropsychiatryLa Place10599-5.7%
Daren ParsaPsychiatryRaceland743704-5.2%
Scott ZentnerPsychiatryMonroe6562-4.6%
Patrick DowlingNeuropsychiatryNew Orleans2928-3.4%
Erich ConradPsychiatryNew Orleans404393-2.7%
Jonathon RynningPsychiatryMetairie1,5271,514-0.9%
Joni OrazioPsychiatry & NeurologyLafayette106105-0.9%
Jose RodriguezPsychiatryMetairie14140%
Jill MccallPsychiatry & NeurologyMetairie13130%
Arwen PodestaPsychiatry & NeurologyNew Orleans11110%
Donna FargasonPsychiatry & NeurologyBaton Rouge11110%
Michael BlanchardPsychiatryRaceland576581+0.9%
Janet BradleyPsychiatry & NeurologyNew Orleans9293+1.1%
Margaret Bishop-BaierPsychiatryNew Orleans5758+1.8%
Sarwat GadPsychiatryLafayette103105+1.9%
John HillPsychiatryAlexandria739756+2.3%
Phillip RowdenPsychiatry & NeurologyOlla654674+3.1%
Peter MahonyPsychiatryLake Charles221228+3.2%
Charles MurphyPsychiatryLake Charles1,2201,280+4.9%
Claudia OrellanaPsychiatryBossier City1920+5.3%
Michael SusanoPsychiatryShreveport166177+6.6%
Larrie WilliamsonPsychiatryShreveport7479+6.8%
Degan DansereauPsychiatryNew Orleans199213+7%
Alfred FogartyPsychiatryRuston125135+8%
Dean HickmanPsychiatryNew Orleans97105+8.2%
Susan GladePsychiatry & NeurologyMetairie370403+8.9%
Indira KailasPsychiatryMarrero6067+11.7%
Charles BowersPsychiatryLafayette143161+12.6%
Michael WalshPsychiatryCovington779879+12.8%
Anwantbir ChawlaPsychiatry & NeurologySlidell5866+13.8%
Michael WrightPsychiatryWest Monroe122139+13.9%
James PattersonPsychiatryShreveport257293+14%
Anjani NarraPsychiatryBaton Rouge91104+14.3%
Mary McgannPsychiatry & NeurologyShreveport4856+16.7%
Sidney SmithPsychiatryMetairie1,4941,763+18%
Csilla LinszkyPsychiatryNew Orleans97115+18.6%
Olufemi OgundejiPsychiatryShreveport166197+18.7%
Terry LainPsychiatryNew Orleans7893+19.2%
Maria CrusePsychiatry & NeurologyThibodaux305368+20.7%
Patrick SewellPsychiatryShreveport287347+20.9%
Dean RobinsonPsychiatryShreveport373456+22.3%
Brian MonettePsychiatryGonzales233288+23.6%
Mark ZielinskiPsychiatryBaton Rouge153194+26.8%
Douglas PoolPsychiatry & NeurologyMetairie7697+27.6%
Rennie CulverPsychiatry & NeurologyMetairie5672+28.6%
Teri SchwarzPsychiatryMarrero726942+29.8%
Kenneth SumnerPsychiatryMetairie634841+32.6%
Abdul KhanPsychiatryNew Orleans236318+34.7%
Sudheera RachamalluPsychiatryBaton Rouge651891+36.9%
Ashley DoucettePsychiatry & NeurologyOpelousas248341+37.5%
John WagnerPsychiatryShreveport1622+37.5%
Gordon BlundellPsychiatry & NeurologyMadisonville233321+37.8%
Venugopal VatsavayiPsychiatryBaton Rouge9731,342+37.9%
Pamela ParsonsPsychiatry & NeurologyBaton Rouge6691+37.9%
Lynn SimonPsychiatryBaton Rouge287397+38.3%
Lauri HallerPsychiatryAlexandria5071+42%
Gregory BrownPsychiatry & NeurologyShreveport130186+43.1%
Elmore RigamerPsychiatryNew Orleans84121+44%
Daphne GlindmeyerPsychiatry & NeurologyCovington211305+44.5%
Diane GonzalesPsychiatryOpelousas199294+47.7%
Aruna GullapalliPsychiatryMonroe572857+49.8%
Charles DegravellesPsychiatryBaton Rouge1,1121,685+51.5%
Paul PeltsPsychiatry & NeurologyNew Orleans3960+53.8%
Muhammed YasinPsychiatryKenner126195+54.8%
Roger BrownPsychiatryMandeville108172+59.3%
George DaulPsychiatryNew Orleans182299+64.3%
Michael BiunnoPsychiatryNew Orleans66111+68.2%
Kendall GenrePsychiatry & NeurologyNew Orleans84143+70.2%
William ColombPsychiatryMandeville288496+72.2%
Phuong NguyenPsychiatry & NeurologyMarrero158273+72.8%
Erik WhitfieldPsychiatry & NeurologyLuling1628+75%
Charles HigginsPsychiatry & NeurologyNew Orleans94166+76.6%
Vic LindenPsychiatryNew Orleans178316+77.5%
Robin HoguePsychiatryShreveport4785+80.9%
George PapaspyrosPsychiatry & NeurologyLafayette1731+82.4%
Ted BlochPsychiatry & NeurologyNew Orleans106196+84.9%
Jennifer DunlapPsychiatry & NeurologyNew Orleans3159+90.3%
Deborah ToshPsychiatryMetairie4892+91.7%
John WellsPsychiatryNew Orleans264515+95.1%
George DiggsPsychiatryLafayette257508+97.7%
Desiree CarterPsychiatryNew Orleans1328+115.4%
Philip CenacPsychiatry & NeurologyBaton Rouge4190+119.5%
Ira GaddyPsychiatryNew Orleans101222+119.8%
Robert HarveyPsychiatryBaton Rouge2866+135.7%
Morgan FeibelmanNeuropsychiatryNew Orleans3383+151.5%
Devanshi JaniPsychiatryShreveport118317+168.6%
Jason WuttkeNeuropsychiatryNew Orleans3186+177.4%
Ovayoza AdeleyePsychiatry & NeurologyNatchitoches1852+188.9%
Mohammad NaeemPsychiatryMandeville3294+193.8%
Kathleen CrapanzanoPsychiatryBaton Rouge32106+231.2%
Gary FillettePsychiatryPineville57200+250.9%
Aldo MejiaPsychiatry & NeurologyNew Orleans2694+261.5%
Mark ShoptaughPsychiatryBaton Rouge110415+277.3%
Brian McgeePsychiatryBaton Rouge27114+322.2%
Jessica ChandamuriPsychiatry & NeurologyNew Orleans1255+358.3%
Sanket VyasPsychiatryNew Orleans1366+407.7%
Robert DurantPsychiatry & NeurologyNew Orleans23118+413%
David PostPsychiatryGonzales102525+414.7%
Michael BluePsychiatryNew Iberia1479+464.3%
Kevin YoungPsychiatryCrowley43250+481.4%
Christopher RodgmanPsychiatryNew Orleans22164+645.5%
Jean SimpsonPsychiatryNew Orleans14106+657.1%
Anoop NarahariPsychiatryBaton Rouge—754—
Thomas OdenPsychiatryNew Orleans—677—
David MurdockPsychiatryLake Charles—558—
Blake BourgoynePsychiatryBaton Rouge—315—
Robert DahmesPsychiatryNew Orleans—303—
Kristine OlivierNeuropsychiatryNew Orleans—261—
Andrew AubinPsychiatryLafayette—259—
Mary Fitz-GeraldPsychiatryShreveport—204—
Christopher AlfredPsychiatrySlidell—202—
Lauren GrovesPsychiatryBogalusa—186—
Sydney MelanconPsychiatryMetairie—162—
Kimberly KavanaghPsychiatryNew Orleans—156—
Natalie HunsingerPsychiatryBaton Rouge—138—
Aubrey OrgeronPsychiatryRaceland—130—
Jason BoudreauxPsychiatryBaton Rouge—123—
Celine ElsonPsychiatry & NeurologyNew Orleans—118—
Kwame BuabengPsychiatryBaton Rouge—117—
Eleanor CarrioPsychiatryNew Orleans—106—
Megan BergeronPsychiatry & NeurologyHouma—98—
Brian MooneyPsychiatryLake Charles—73—
Joel BrevingPsychiatry & NeurologyShreveport—68—
Aniedi UdofaPsychiatryBaton Rouge—67—
William GriffiesPsychiatryNew Orleans—66—
Abigail ShoenfeltPsychiatryBaton Rouge—66—
James RussPsychiatryMorgan City—63—
Elizabeth HolcombPsychiatry & NeurologyNew Orleans—62—
Shannon Moore-LangstonPsychiatryNew Orleans—61—
Deonna DoddPsychiatryBaton Rouge—59—
Sanjay ChaudhuriPsychiatryMonroe—58—
Amy HudsonPsychiatryNew Orleans—54—
Laci O'DonnellPsychiatry & NeurologyBarksdale Afb—43—
William RohnPsychiatry & NeurologyNew Orleans—40—
Maeghan DavisPsychiatryNew Orleans—38—
Lawrence StansberryPsychiatryGretna—31—
Anand BosmiaPsychiatryShreveport—30—
Sarah StuartPsychiatry & NeurologyNew Orleans—29—
Vivienne HaynePsychiatry & NeurologyNew Orleans—29—
Bradley LandwehrPsychiatry & NeurologyNew Orleans—28—
Patrick OneillPsychiatryNew Orleans—27—
Sarah DelandPsychiatryNew Orleans—27—
Helene ChenPsychiatry & NeurologyNew Orleans—26—
Larry DoughtyPsychiatryAlexandria—26—
Katherine SmithNeuropsychiatryNew Orleans—23—
Scott LaviePsychiatryNew Orleans—23—
Lauren LarosePsychiatry & NeurologyMandeville—22—
Darius RobinsonPsychiatry & NeurologyShreveport—21—
Sara KarnesPsychiatryNew Orleans—19—
Schoener LaprairiePsychiatryHammond—19—
Travis LindseyPsychiatry & NeurologyBaton Rouge—18—
Yi Yen Annie YehPsychiatryMetairie—18—
Andrew SanderPsychiatry & NeurologyLuling—17—
Allie WilliamsPsychiatry & NeurologyNew Orleans—16—
Nabil GadPsychiatryAlexandria—16—
Trent WiedemannPsychiatry & NeurologyNew Orleans—15—
Mohammad AnwarPsychiatryKenner—14—
Matthew MenardPsychiatryShreveport—14—
Andrew WilliamsPsychiatryNew Orleans—14—
Eric KinsmanPsychiatryFort Polk—14—
Melina ZunigaNeuropsychiatryNew Orleans—13—
Ryan AdellPsychiatryNew Orleans—13—
Sophia ZaretskyPsychiatry & NeurologyNew Orleans—12—
Stephen GiepertPsychiatryNew Orleans—12—
Charlotte HuttonPsychiatry & NeurologyPineville—12—
Brennin BrownPsychiatry & NeurologyNew Orleans—12—
Andrea O'LearyPsychiatryNew Orleans—12—
Marc ColonPsychiatryShreveport—11—
Brandy MoutonNeuropsychiatryNew Orleans15210+1300%

Showing the 250 largest reductions of 253 prescribers in Louisiana.

Figures are reproduced from the CMS public use files without alteration. Clinicians who believe a row misstates their record can write to support@taperoffbenzos.com and we will check it against the source file and correct or remove it.

Finding a prescriber in Louisiana

This data describes prescribing patterns; it does not tell you who will support a slow taper. For that, our guide to finding a benzo-wise prescriber compares every free provider directory that exists and lists the five questions that predict how a taper will go. If you already have a prescriber, the taper calculator generates a schedule to review with them.

Frequently asked questions

Is benzodiazepine prescribing rising or falling in Louisiana?

It fell 7.4% between 2013 and 2024 in Medicare Part D — a slower fall than the country as a whole, where prescribing fell 12.9%. In 2024, Louisiana recorded 672,102 benzodiazepine claims across 130,121 patients.

How does Louisiana compare to other states?

Louisiana ranks 8 of 51 for prescribing intensity, at 5.17 benzodiazepine fills per patient per year, and 32 of 51 for the size of its decline since 2013 (1 being the steepest fall).

Which benzodiazepine is prescribed most in Louisiana?

Alprazolam, at 290,281 claims — 43.2% of the state's benzodiazepine prescribing in 2024. Next are Clonazepam (24.7%) and Lorazepam (14.4%).

Source

CMS Medicare Part D Prescribers public use files, data years 2013–2024 (US Government work, public domain). Medicare Part D only — it excludes commercial insurance and cash-pay, skews toward patients 65 and over, and suppresses cells of 10 or fewer claims. Full methodology and limitations are on the national page.