Benzodiazepine Prescribing in Oregon
Medicare Part D, 2013–2024.
Benzodiazepine prescribing in Oregon fell 25.9% between 2013 and 2024 — a steeper fall than the country as a whole. In 2024 the state recorded 295,875 Medicare Part D benzodiazepine claims across 78,285 patients, an average of 3.78 fills per patient per year, which ranks 48 of 51 states. Lorazepam accounts for 32.1% of it.
Oregon over twelve years
Which benzodiazepines Oregon prescribes
| Drug | Claims 2024 | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Lorazepam | 95,089 | 32.1% |
| Clonazepam | 79,747 | 27% |
| Alprazolam | 72,623 | 24.5% |
| Diazepam | 32,880 | 11.1% |
| Temazepam | 10,665 | 3.6% |
Psychiatric prescribers in Oregon
194 psychiatric prescribers in Oregon appear in the 2024 Medicare Part D data with benzodiazepine claims. 21 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marianne StraumfjordPsychiatry | Bend | 105 | 11 | -89.5% |
| Edward GreenPsychiatry | Portland | 527 | 67 | -87.3% |
| Neisha D'SouzaPsychiatry | Portland | 79 | 11 | -86.1% |
| Philip WilliamsPsychiatry & Neurology | Springfield | 250 | 36 | -85.6% |
| Ki KurtzPsychiatry | Medford | 84 | 14 | -83.3% |
| Bryan YatesPsychiatry & Neurology | Roseburg | 449 | 103 | -77.1% |
| Satyanarayana ChandragiriPsychiatry | Salem | 647 | 151 | -76.7% |
| Yetunde AkinsPsychiatry | Klamath Falls | 209 | 54 | -74.2% |
| Gary LevinsonPsychiatry | Bend | 290 | 75 | -74.1% |
| Nicole ShirvaniPsychiatry | Medford | 537 | 176 | -67.2% |
| Elaine MitchellPsychiatry & Neurology | Eugene | 130 | 43 | -66.9% |
| Warner SwarnerPsychiatry & Neurology | Milwaukie | 61 | 21 | -65.6% |
| Sarah BehelPsychiatry & Neurology | Portland | 32 | 11 | -65.6% |
| Judith WatkinsPsychiatry & Neurology | Corvallis | 307 | 107 | -65.1% |
| Jay WungPsychiatry | Salem | 1,093 | 409 | -62.6% |
| Jeffrey LenoxPsychiatry | Salem | 122 | 48 | -60.7% |
| Howard RosenbaumPsychiatry & Neurology | Beaverton | 63 | 26 | -58.7% |
| Kenneth EricksonPsychiatry | Corvallis | 483 | 202 | -58.2% |
| Lisa BaileyPsychiatry | Ashland | 183 | 82 | -55.2% |
| Ben JewPsychiatry | Portland | 112 | 51 | -54.5% |
| Karen Crocker-WenselPsychiatry & Neurology | Eugene | 100 | 49 | -51% |
| Robert OlsenPsychiatry | Portland | 209 | 106 | -49.3% |
| Norman HamiltonPsychiatry & Neurology | Portland | 25 | 13 | -48% |
| Rafael GrayPsychiatry | Portland | 277 | 146 | -47.3% |
| Benjamin EliasonPsychiatry | Bend | 231 | 124 | -46.3% |
| James JamesPsychiatry | Corvallis | 426 | 230 | -46% |
| Sabine MeyerPsychiatry | Beaverton | 345 | 188 | -45.5% |
| Cynthia GrayPsychiatry & Neurology | Portland | 22 | 12 | -45.5% |
| Lynn FriedmanPsychiatry | Portland | 52 | 29 | -44.2% |
| Elizabeth BirecreePsychiatry | Portland | 109 | 62 | -43.1% |
| Carolyn HartmanPsychiatry | Eugene | 748 | 450 | -39.8% |
| Daniel FerberPsychiatry | The Dalles | 83 | 50 | -39.8% |
| D DalePsychiatry | Portland | 76 | 47 | -38.2% |
| Heather KnottPsychiatry | Clackamas | 243 | 152 | -37.4% |
| Steven JeffersPsychiatry | Roseburg | 371 | 244 | -34.2% |
| Victor RichensteinPsychiatry | Eugene | 372 | 254 | -31.7% |
| Erin WallacePsychiatry | Clackamas | 282 | 193 | -31.6% |
| Peter TaylorPsychiatry | Milwaukie | 143 | 99 | -30.8% |
| Jon SobotkaPsychiatry | Corvallis | 175 | 122 | -30.3% |
| Timothy MitchellPsychiatry & Neurology | Eugene | 54 | 38 | -29.6% |
| Kay DieterPsychiatry | Salem | 675 | 486 | -28% |
| Robbie NebekerPsychiatry & Neurology | Corvallis | 326 | 235 | -27.9% |
| Paul LeungPsychiatry | Portland | 298 | 219 | -26.5% |
| Jennifer ScottPsychiatry & Neurology | Hillsboro | 91 | 67 | -26.4% |
| Harold WhiteleyPsychiatry | Eugene | 1,375 | 1,032 | -24.9% |
| Michael YaoPsychiatry | Portland | 173 | 136 | -21.4% |
| Jeffrey RicePsychiatry & Neurology | Portland | 42 | 33 | -21.4% |
| John KinziePsychiatry | Portland | 61 | 48 | -21.3% |
| Angelina MontoyaNeuropsychiatry | Bend | 66 | 54 | -18.2% |
| Charles KuttnerPsychiatry | Portland | 230 | 189 | -17.8% |
| Gale SmolenPsychiatry | Albany | 378 | 311 | -17.7% |
| Craigan UsherPsychiatry | Portland | 18 | 15 | -16.7% |
| Ronald SpanglerPsychiatry | Portland | 19 | 16 | -15.8% |
| Hernan SchmidtPsychiatry & Neurology | Eugene | 70 | 59 | -15.7% |
| Kyle JohnsonPsychiatry | Portland | 13 | 11 | -15.4% |
| Mary MccarthyPsychiatry | Portland | 60 | 51 | -15% |
| James HanceyPsychiatry | Portland | 796 | 678 | -14.8% |
| Ian StarrPsychiatry | Portland | 384 | 327 | -14.8% |
| Timothy TruschelNeuropsychiatry | Salem | 578 | 494 | -14.5% |
| Stewart NewmanNeuropsychiatry | Hillsboro | 14 | 12 | -14.3% |
| Grant BeloofPsychiatry & Neurology | Portland | 17 | 15 | -11.8% |
| John LipkinPsychiatry | Eugene | 353 | 312 | -11.6% |
| Joseph BarrettPsychiatry | Bend | 418 | 370 | -11.5% |
| Michael StanleyPsychiatry | Portland | 69 | 62 | -10.1% |
| James MillerPsychiatry | Salem | 311 | 281 | -9.6% |
| Joshua BovermanPsychiatry | Portland | 169 | 153 | -9.5% |
| James ConourPsychiatry | Portland | 629 | 575 | -8.6% |
| Bowen ParsonsPsychiatry | Portland | 140 | 129 | -7.9% |
| Philip ShapiroPsychiatry & Neurology | Portland | 95 | 89 | -6.3% |
| Mark BrownPsychiatry | Gresham | 272 | 258 | -5.1% |
| Anthony MonteverdiPsychiatry | Bend | 207 | 198 | -4.3% |
| D. MccarleyPsychiatry | Albany | 175 | 173 | -1.1% |
| Ajitkumar JetmalaniPsychiatry | Portland | 11 | 11 | 0% |
| W CampbellPsychiatry | Bend | 179 | 180 | +0.6% |
| Paul ChoiPsychiatry & Neurology | Eugene | 469 | 486 | +3.6% |
| Soroush MohandessiPsychiatry | Portland | 47 | 50 | +6.4% |
| Liana HateganPsychiatry | Beaverton | 146 | 156 | +6.8% |
| Sandra KrusselPsychiatry & Neurology | Portland | 11 | 12 | +9.1% |
| Cheryl ChessickPsychiatry | Clackamas | 520 | 574 | +10.4% |
| Daniel MccabePsychiatry | Hood River | 418 | 464 | +11% |
| Lulu TsaiPsychiatry | Redmond | 1,218 | 1,362 | +11.8% |
| Veronica AlferoPsychiatry & Neurology | Eugene | 50 | 56 | +12% |
| Jacqueline AmatoPsychiatry | Medford | 145 | 163 | +12.4% |
| Charles BellvillePsychiatry | Portland | 52 | 59 | +13.5% |
| Rachel MorenzPsychiatry & Neurology | The Dalles | 13 | 15 | +15.4% |
| Jayne LaszewskiPsychiatry & Neurology | Portland | 11 | 13 | +18.2% |
| James FarleyPsychiatry | Oregon City | 384 | 456 | +18.8% |
| John WilsonPsychiatry | Portland | 421 | 501 | +19% |
| John MahanPsychiatry | Medford | 46 | 56 | +21.7% |
| Jerald BlockPsychiatry | Newport | 50 | 61 | +22% |
| Michael WebbPsychiatry | Eugene | 164 | 205 | +25% |
| Nancy BroskiePsychiatry | Salem | 416 | 534 | +28.4% |
| Elizabeth ChambersPsychiatry & Neurology | Hood River | 93 | 122 | +31.2% |
| Paul ContiPsychiatry & Neurology | Portland | 86 | 114 | +32.6% |
| Michael RobinsonPsychiatry | Oregon City | 153 | 214 | +39.9% |
| Robbie BahlAddiction Medicine | Portland | 38 | 54 | +42.1% |
| Seema DewaniPsychiatry | Clackamas | 174 | 258 | +48.3% |
| Christine ArthurPsychiatry | Hillsboro | 116 | 175 | +50.9% |
| Brian EsparzaPsychiatry | Portland | 47 | 72 | +53.2% |
| Bradford AshleyPsychiatry | Sherwood | 360 | 555 | +54.2% |
| George KeepersPsychiatry | Portland | 44 | 69 | +56.8% |
| Lyle JobePsychiatry & Neurology | Portland | 35 | 56 | +60% |
| Julie CohnGeriatric Psychiatry | Portland | 60 | 102 | +70% |
| Donald RosenPsychiatry & Neurology | Portland | 29 | 50 | +72.4% |
| Lawrence MacklesNeuropsychiatry | Portland | 36 | 63 | +75% |
| Howard SampleyPsychiatry | Springfield | 80 | 148 | +85% |
| George DrinkaPsychiatry | Portland | 40 | 82 | +105% |
| Kimberly HumannPsychiatry | Portland | 39 | 80 | +105.1% |
| Whitney BlackPsychiatry | Portland | 20 | 44 | +120% |
| Richard SognNeuropsychiatry | Portland | 23 | 53 | +130.4% |
| Gus SalbadorPsychiatry & Neurology | Eugene | 47 | 109 | +131.9% |
| James BoehnleinPsychiatry | Portland | 13 | 33 | +153.8% |
| Asha JetmalaniPsychiatry | Portland | 13 | 33 | +153.8% |
| Solomon WolfPsychiatry | Portland | 12 | 34 | +183.3% |
| Joel RicePsychiatry | La Grande | 153 | 449 | +193.5% |
| Gilbert SimasPsychiatry | Portland | 48 | 147 | +206.2% |
| Clara BozievichPsychiatry | Corvallis | 12 | 40 | +233.3% |
| Patricia GardnerGeriatric Psychiatry | Portland | 28 | 97 | +246.4% |
| Jeramy PetersPsychiatry | Portland | 11 | 41 | +272.7% |
| Darian MinkunasPsychiatry | Clackamas | 102 | 399 | +291.2% |
| John RennickPsychiatry | Medford | 58 | 240 | +313.8% |
| Richard JonesPsychiatry | Albany | 32 | 140 | +337.5% |
| Jeffrey BuenjemiaPsychiatry | Milwaukie | 44 | 194 | +340.9% |
| Chad BrownPsychiatry & Neurology | Medford | 11 | 51 | +363.6% |
| Rodney BabePsychiatry & Neurology | Salem | 11 | 53 | +381.8% |
| Alfredo SotoPsychiatry & Neurology | Dallas | 20 | 101 | +405% |
| Hugh HendersonPsychiatry | Eugene | 34 | 178 | +423.5% |
| Michael KavurPsychiatry & Neurology | Albany | 14 | 113 | +707.1% |
| Thomas WelchPsychiatry | Aloha | — | 266 | — |
| Jafet Gonzalez-ZakarchencoPsychiatry & Neurology | Newport | — | 253 | — |
| Philip AndersonPsychiatry | Mcminnville | — | 223 | — |
| Chantal Van WelyPsychiatry & Neurology | Tigard | — | 190 | — |
| Shondell DiazPsychiatry & Neurology | Portland | — | 186 | — |
| Alyssa TorbyPsychiatry & Neurology | Hillsboro | — | 175 | — |
| Eric FordPsychiatry | Bend | — | 174 | — |
| Lindsay HowardPsychiatry | Portland | — | 149 | — |
| Bruce MatthewsAddiction Medicine | Lebanon | — | 135 | — |
| Dara MitchellPsychiatry | Albany | — | 125 | — |
| Erin MorrowPsychiatry | Bend | — | 116 | — |
| Todd PalumboPsychiatry | Beaverton | — | 112 | — |
| Laurel PaynePsychiatry | Astoria | — | 105 | — |
| Brian FulmerPsychiatry | Bend | — | 100 | — |
| Jonathan BalePsychiatry | Corvallis | — | 88 | — |
| Cecille ReutherPsychiatry & Neurology | Portland | — | 84 | — |
| My ChuongPsychiatry | Clackamas | — | 82 | — |
| Anne LintonPsychiatry | Bend | — | 82 | — |
| Jordan AndersonPsychiatry | Portland | — | 73 | — |
| Kyle CothranPsychiatry | Corvallis | — | 71 | — |
| Allison DarkPsychiatry & Neurology | Corvallis | — | 67 | — |
| Emina BajrovicPsychiatry | Portland | — | 66 | — |
| Shirley RoffePsychiatry & Neurology | Portland | — | 65 | — |
| Robert MckelveyPsychiatry | Portland | — | 49 | — |
| Kolby WalkerPsychiatry | Albany | — | 44 | — |
| Connie ShenPsychiatry | Albany | — | 39 | — |
| Eleasa SokolskiAddiction Medicine | Portland | — | 36 | — |
| Crispin JuguilonPsychiatry | Pendleton | — | 36 | — |
| Daniel NicoliPsychiatry | Portland | — | 33 | — |
| Mikel MattoPsychiatry | Portland | — | 32 | — |
| Jesse GerberPsychiatry | Portland | — | 32 | — |
| Jennifer CoffmanPsychiatry & Neurology | Portland | — | 31 | — |
| David DouglasPsychiatry | Portland | — | 31 | — |
| Anthony NguyenPsychiatry | Hillsboro | — | 31 | — |
| Erum KhaleeqPsychiatry & Neurology | Keizer | — | 28 | — |
| William StrekPsychiatry | Bend | — | 28 | — |
| Mary LuPsychiatry | Portland | — | 27 | — |
| Joel MackPsychiatry | Portland | — | 26 | — |
| Andrew WilliamsPsychiatry | Beaverton | — | 26 | — |
| Margaret HeinePsychiatry | Corvallis | — | 25 | — |
| Scott ChristensenPsychiatry | Beaverton | — | 25 | — |
| Jesse KippermanPsychiatry & Neurology | Corvallis | — | 24 | — |
| James PowersPsychiatry & Neurology | Portland | — | 24 | — |
| Anne O'ConnellPsychiatry | Medford | — | 24 | — |
| Robert MealerPsychiatry | Portland | — | 22 | — |
| David ChoiPsychiatry & Neurology | Corvallis | — | 19 | — |
| Michael CarnevaleAddiction Medicine | Eugene | — | 14 | — |
| Aryan SarparastPsychiatry | Portland | — | 14 | — |
| Marie SollerPsychiatry & Neurology | Portland | — | 14 | — |
| Samantha MayPsychiatry & Neurology | Corvallis | — | 14 | — |
| Keith ConantPsychiatry & Neurology | Portland | — | 13 | — |
| Wendy ComstockPsychiatry & Neurology | Portland | — | 13 | — |
| Minji KimNeuropsychiatry | Medford | — | 13 | — |
| Curtis SturosPsychiatry & Neurology | Eagle Point | — | 12 | — |
| Jill GladishPsychiatry & Neurology | Portland | — | 12 | — |
| Kyle RutledgePsychiatry & Neurology | Medford | — | 11 | — |
| Yunjing FangPsychiatry | Portland | — | 11 | — |
| Roselee CainPsychiatry & Neurology | Salem | — | 11 | — |
| Jared WorthingtonPsychiatry | Portland | — | 11 | — |
| Eileen MccartyPsychiatry & Neurology | Oregon City | — | 11 | — |
| Renata YangPsychiatry | Portland | — | 11 | — |
| Tracy EppersonPsychiatry | La Grande | — | 11 | — |
| Clara RuizPsychiatry | Portland | — | 11 | — |
| Laura NelsonPsychiatry & Neurology | Portland | — | 11 | — |
| Daniel Helfet-HillikerPsychiatry & Neurology | Portland | — | 11 | — |
| Simrun KaurPsychiatry | Portland | 14 | 192 | +1271.4% |
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 Oregon
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 Oregon?
It fell 25.9% between 2013 and 2024 in Medicare Part D — a steeper fall than the country as a whole, where prescribing fell 12.9%. In 2024, Oregon recorded 295,875 benzodiazepine claims across 78,285 patients.
How does Oregon compare to other states?
Oregon ranks 48 of 51 for prescribing intensity, at 3.78 benzodiazepine fills per patient per year, and 9 of 51 for the size of its decline since 2013 (1 being the steepest fall).
Which benzodiazepine is prescribed most in Oregon?
Lorazepam, at 95,089 claims — 32.1% of the state's benzodiazepine prescribing in 2024. Next are Clonazepam (27%) and Alprazolam (24.5%).
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.