Benzodiazepine Prescribing in Montana
Medicare Part D, 2013–2024.
Benzodiazepine prescribing in Montana fell 9.6% between 2013 and 2024 — a slower fall than the country as a whole. In 2024 the state recorded 97,749 Medicare Part D benzodiazepine claims across 20,189 patients, an average of 4.84 fills per patient per year, which ranks 21 of 51 states. Lorazepam accounts for 33% of it.
Montana over twelve years
Which benzodiazepines Montana prescribes
| Drug | Claims 2024 | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Lorazepam | 32,279 | 33% |
| Clonazepam | 31,253 | 32% |
| Alprazolam | 18,236 | 18.7% |
| Diazepam | 9,336 | 9.6% |
| Temazepam | 5,625 | 5.8% |
Psychiatric prescribers in Montana
56 psychiatric prescribers in Montana appear in the 2024 Medicare Part D data with benzodiazepine claims. 3 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.
| Prescriber | City | 2019 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erin AmatoPsychiatry | Billings | 98 | 29 | -70.4% |
| Ana StanPsychiatry | Livingston | 39 | 14 | -64.1% |
| Laura SalyersPsychiatry | Missoula | 411 | 171 | -58.4% |
| Luke RomanowPsychiatry | Great Falls | 34 | 18 | -47.1% |
| Michael NewmanPsychiatry | Whitefish | 184 | 113 | -38.6% |
| Eleanore HobbsPsychiatry | Ronan | 79 | 49 | -38% |
| Todd ShumardPsychiatry | Kalispell | 19 | 13 | -31.6% |
| Joan GreenNeuropsychiatry | Bozeman | 100 | 70 | -30% |
| James WhitworthPsychiatry | Billings | 958 | 697 | -27.2% |
| Phillip HolmanPsychiatry | Missoula | 630 | 471 | -25.2% |
| Mary EvansPsychiatry | Great Falls | 263 | 206 | -21.7% |
| John MuirPsychiatry | Whitefish | 196 | 157 | -19.9% |
| Eva LarocquePsychiatry | Great Falls | 703 | 572 | -18.6% |
| Milan PatelPsychiatry | Warm Springs | 14 | 12 | -14.3% |
| Jeffrey GreenNeuropsychiatry | Bozeman | 15 | 13 | -13.3% |
| Anne ThomasPsychiatry | Bozeman | 25 | 22 | -12% |
| Andrea MowPsychiatry | Helena | 263 | 234 | -11% |
| Patricia CalkinPsychiatry | Great Falls | 1,045 | 954 | -8.7% |
| Bruce SwarnyPsychiatry | Livingston | 163 | 160 | -1.8% |
| Victor HouserPsychiatry | Kalispell | 12 | 12 | 0% |
| Jami EschlerPsychiatry | Bozeman | 159 | 161 | +1.3% |
| Mark MozerPsychiatry | Helena | 952 | 993 | +4.3% |
| Troy StilesPsychiatry | Billings | 713 | 750 | +5.2% |
| Deborah MaltersPsychiatry | Billings | 317 | 341 | +7.6% |
| Joseph BoylePsychiatry | Kalispell | 521 | 575 | +10.4% |
| Christine DalyPsychiatry | Helena | 11 | 14 | +27.3% |
| Scott ElrodPsychiatry | Missoula | 23 | 30 | +30.4% |
| Thomas HerizaPsychiatry & Neurology | Bozeman | 54 | 81 | +50% |
| Patrick MaidmanPsychiatry | Missoula | 15 | 26 | +73.3% |
| Katherine WeaverPsychiatry | Billings | 171 | 317 | +85.4% |
| Kenneth OlsonPsychiatry & Neurology | Bozeman | 55 | 124 | +125.5% |
| Michael TheinPsychiatry | Missoula | 251 | 716 | +185.3% |
| Michelle MccallPsychiatry | Helena | 11 | 46 | +318.2% |
| Amelia DurlingPsychiatry & Neurology | Kalispell | 40 | 169 | +322.5% |
| Nicholas FreudenbergPsychiatry | Missoula | 38 | 192 | +405.3% |
| Jonathan BrighamNeuropsychiatry | Bozeman | 13 | 68 | +423.1% |
| Bridgid CrowleyPsychiatry | Helena | — | 158 | — |
| Zijie SuPsychiatry | Billings | — | 125 | — |
| Paulette LassiterPsychiatry | Glendive | — | 120 | — |
| Todd WojtanowiczPsychiatry | Billings | — | 76 | — |
| Ross WiedemannPsychiatry | Bozeman | — | 76 | — |
| Andrew ParsonsPsychiatry | Kalispell | — | 69 | — |
| Michael BreslowPsychiatry & Neurology | Libby | — | 62 | — |
| Kristopher PoliakiwskiPsychiatry | Great Falls | — | 60 | — |
| Russell OllertonPsychiatry | Billings | — | 56 | — |
| Christopher HelleksonPsychiatry | Missoula | — | 50 | — |
| Robert SisePsychiatry | Bozeman | — | 43 | — |
| Priyanki PareekPsychiatry | Billings | — | 42 | — |
| Kary AytesPsychiatry | Missoula | — | 36 | — |
| Justin KunzPsychiatry | Billings | — | 18 | — |
| Heidi GeilPsychiatry & Neurology | Alberton | — | 16 | — |
| Joan DicksonPsychiatry & Neurology | Glendive | — | 14 | — |
| Gray BirchPsychiatry | Billings | — | 13 | — |
| Sarah MullowneyPsychiatry | Anaconda | — | 12 | — |
| Tessa ZolnikovPsychiatry & Neurology | Billings | — | 12 | — |
| Jenny CombsPsychiatry | Bozeman | — | 12 | — |
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 Montana
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 Montana?
It fell 9.6% between 2013 and 2024 in Medicare Part D — a slower fall than the country as a whole, where prescribing fell 12.9%. In 2024, Montana recorded 97,749 benzodiazepine claims across 20,189 patients.
How does Montana compare to other states?
Montana ranks 21 of 51 for prescribing intensity, at 4.84 benzodiazepine fills per patient per year, and 28 of 51 for the size of its decline since 2013 (1 being the steepest fall).
Which benzodiazepine is prescribed most in Montana?
Lorazepam, at 32,279 claims — 33% of the state's benzodiazepine prescribing in 2024. Next are Clonazepam (32%) and Alprazolam (18.7%).
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.