Benzodiazepine Prescribing in Rhode Island
Medicare Part D, 2013–2024.
Benzodiazepine prescribing in Rhode Island rose 1% between 2013 and 2024 — a slower fall than the country as a whole. In 2024 the state recorded 184,889 Medicare Part D benzodiazepine claims across 34,618 patients, an average of 5.34 fills per patient per year, which ranks 5 of 51 states. Clonazepam accounts for 32.1% of it.
Rhode Island over twelve years
Which benzodiazepines Rhode Island prescribes
| Drug | Claims 2024 | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Clonazepam | 59,272 | 32.1% |
| Lorazepam | 54,405 | 29.4% |
| Alprazolam | 50,552 | 27.3% |
| Diazepam | 14,653 | 7.9% |
| Temazepam | 4,825 | 2.6% |
Psychiatric prescribers in Rhode Island
160 psychiatric prescribers in Rhode Island appear in the 2024 Medicare Part D data with benzodiazepine claims. 22 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daniela BoerescuPsychiatry | Providence | 566 | 14 | -97.5% |
| Omer CermikPsychiatry | Providence | 415 | 22 | -94.7% |
| Sandhya PatelPsychiatry | Warwick | 151 | 11 | -92.7% |
| Kirsten HullPsychiatry | Riverside | 370 | 33 | -91.1% |
| Marygene Santa TeresaPsychiatry | Providence | 182 | 25 | -86.3% |
| Michael SilverPsychiatry | Providence | 829 | 162 | -80.5% |
| Sarah XavierNeuropsychiatry | Lincoln | 59 | 12 | -79.7% |
| John RuggianoPsychiatry | Cranston | 288 | 82 | -71.5% |
| Benjamin LedererPsychiatry | Woonsocket | 279 | 89 | -68.1% |
| Laura HodgesPsychiatry | Providence | 303 | 98 | -67.7% |
| Maurizio ZambenedettiPsychiatry | Warwick | 68 | 22 | -67.6% |
| Richard WhalenPsychiatry | Warwick | 330 | 117 | -64.5% |
| David KroesslerPsychiatry | Warwick | 299 | 108 | -63.9% |
| Nicholas GelorminiPsychiatry | Johnston | 394 | 148 | -62.4% |
| Lorangelly RiveraPsychiatry & Neurology | Providence | 29 | 11 | -62.1% |
| Douglas ChristiePsychiatry | Providence | 50 | 19 | -62% |
| Usama FerozePsychiatry | Providence | 168 | 64 | -61.9% |
| Jarle MeservyPsychiatry | East Providence | 107 | 47 | -56.1% |
| James TuranskiPsychiatry | Middletown | 317 | 140 | -55.8% |
| Jacob AbrahamPsychiatry | Wakefield | 258 | 119 | -53.9% |
| Walter FitzhughPsychiatry | Lincoln | 1,368 | 662 | -51.6% |
| Michael CoburnPsychiatry & Neurology | North Kingstown | 26 | 13 | -50% |
| Samuel RidoutPsychiatry | Providence | 95 | 50 | -47.4% |
| Diane KingPsychiatry | Barrington | 367 | 200 | -45.5% |
| Angela LacombePsychiatry | Cranston | 33 | 18 | -45.5% |
| Heather AbrahamsPsychiatry | Lincoln | 228 | 125 | -45.2% |
| James GreerPsychiatry | Providence | 346 | 193 | -44.2% |
| Jessica TurnerPsychiatry & Neurology | Providence | 25 | 14 | -44% |
| Henry SachsPsychiatry | East Providence | 319 | 179 | -43.9% |
| Jody UnderwoodPsychiatry | Providence | 21 | 13 | -38.1% |
| Mark ZimmermanPsychiatry | Providence | 171 | 114 | -33.3% |
| Laura StantonPsychiatry | Providence | 740 | 510 | -31.1% |
| Gene JacobsPsychiatry | Cranston | 508 | 352 | -30.7% |
| Gerald TarnoffPsychiatry | Riverside | 83 | 58 | -30.1% |
| Budio ThomasPsychiatry | Barrington | 128 | 92 | -28.1% |
| Syed RizviPsychiatry | Providence | 212 | 161 | -24.1% |
| Jonathan Dela LunaPsychiatry | Cumberland | 1,149 | 873 | -24% |
| Michael McquigganPsychiatry | East Greenwich | 215 | 167 | -22.3% |
| Maria GonzalezPsychiatry | Cranston | 1,274 | 1,016 | -20.3% |
| Brittney BoykinPsychiatry | Providence | 417 | 333 | -20.1% |
| Warren OngPsychiatry | Johnston | 619 | 496 | -19.9% |
| Rafael TorresPsychiatry | Warwick | 343 | 294 | -14.3% |
| Penelope YanniPsychiatry | Woonsocket | 661 | 570 | -13.8% |
| Marshall WoldPsychiatry | Riverside | 679 | 593 | -12.7% |
| Paul BakerPsychiatry | Providence | 70 | 62 | -11.4% |
| Craig KaufmannPsychiatry & Neurology | Cranston | 66 | 59 | -10.6% |
| James GalloPsychiatry & Neurology | Warwick | 693 | 623 | -10.1% |
| Lisa Llanas HagbergPsychiatry | Providence | 12 | 11 | -8.3% |
| Liliya KoyfmanPsychiatry | Warwick | 487 | 458 | -6% |
| Mohammad ZamanPsychiatry | Cranston | 140 | 132 | -5.7% |
| Colin HarringtonPsychiatry | Providence | 20 | 19 | -5% |
| Ronald GobeilPsychiatry | North Providence | 966 | 930 | -3.7% |
| Kerstin UyPsychiatry | Pawtucket | 529 | 510 | -3.6% |
| Wasim RashidPsychiatry | Providence | 209 | 213 | +1.9% |
| Carolyn SammonPsychiatry | Woonsocket | 547 | 563 | +2.9% |
| Gregg EtterPsychiatry | Warwick | 424 | 441 | +4% |
| Steven RasmussenPsychiatry | Providence | 177 | 186 | +5.1% |
| Larry BrownPsychiatry | Providence | 12 | 13 | +8.3% |
| Elizabeth FlynnPsychiatry | Providence | 57 | 62 | +8.8% |
| Anthony GalloPsychiatry | North Kingstown | 688 | 752 | +9.3% |
| Farrel KleinPsychiatry | Newport | 1,009 | 1,109 | +9.9% |
| Jonathan CristPsychiatry | Providence | 20 | 22 | +10% |
| Naureen AttiullahPsychiatry | Providence | 572 | 630 | +10.1% |
| Leonardo BatistaPsychiatry | Providence | 176 | 197 | +11.9% |
| Brian AckermanPsychiatry | Providence | 199 | 224 | +12.6% |
| Steven BonautoPsychiatry & Neurology | Providence | 15 | 17 | +13.3% |
| Emily MurphyPsychiatry | Providence | 505 | 573 | +13.5% |
| Zoe BillinkoffPsychiatry | Providence | 69 | 79 | +14.5% |
| Jodi StephensonPsychiatry | Providence | 192 | 225 | +17.2% |
| Alexander ScagnelliPsychiatry | Warwick | 741 | 869 | +17.3% |
| Alvaro OlivaresPsychiatry | Providence | 383 | 451 | +17.8% |
| Gabor KeitnerPsychiatry | Providence | 33 | 40 | +21.2% |
| Syed RazaPsychiatry | Providence | 212 | 261 | +23.1% |
| David KahnNeuropsychiatry | Providence | 65 | 80 | +23.1% |
| Theodor EnePsychiatry | Providence | 361 | 452 | +25.2% |
| Carmen MonzonPsychiatry | Providence | 95 | 122 | +28.4% |
| Anupriya GognePsychiatry | Providence | 58 | 78 | +34.5% |
| Sripriya SrinivasanPsychiatry | Woonsocket | 221 | 302 | +36.7% |
| Terrie MailhotPsychiatry | Warwick | 147 | 202 | +37.4% |
| Ghulam SurtiPsychiatry | Providence | 226 | 324 | +43.4% |
| Joshua KimPsychiatry & Neurology | Providence | 91 | 133 | +46.2% |
| Brandon KruppPsychiatry | Charlestown | 178 | 269 | +51.1% |
| Monissa SolbergPsychiatry & Neurology | Providence | 393 | 595 | +51.4% |
| James WhalenPsychiatry | Lincoln | 351 | 533 | +51.9% |
| Paul LiebermanPsychiatry | Providence | 45 | 70 | +55.6% |
| Stephen ChabotPsychiatry | Pawtucket | 426 | 678 | +59.2% |
| Lisa SheaPsychiatry | Providence | 328 | 534 | +62.8% |
| Erin GatesPsychiatry & Neurology | Cranston | 54 | 91 | +68.5% |
| Kevin BaillPsychiatry | Providence | 62 | 107 | +72.6% |
| James AndriotisPsychiatry & Neurology | Providence | 11 | 19 | +72.7% |
| Elisabeth TaylorPsychiatry | Warwick | 32 | 57 | +78.1% |
| Emily RowlandPsychiatry | Providence | 59 | 111 | +88.1% |
| Wajahat FaheemPsychiatry | Cranston | 184 | 347 | +88.6% |
| Nebyou BelayPsychiatry | Woonsocket | 13 | 25 | +92.3% |
| Pamela ShervanickPsychiatry & Neurology | Woonsocket | 25 | 49 | +96% |
| Robert KohnPsychiatry | Providence | 1,153 | 2,308 | +100.2% |
| Bonnie SteinbergPsychiatry & Neurology | Providence | 14 | 29 | +107.1% |
| Timothy SteinhoffPsychiatry & Neurology | Providence | 13 | 28 | +115.4% |
| Caitlin MeyerPsychiatry & Neurology | Providence | 20 | 45 | +125% |
| Cristina TobaPsychiatry | Providence | 88 | 220 | +150% |
| Barry WallPsychiatry & Neurology | Providence | 38 | 98 | +157.9% |
| David MyselsPsychiatry | East Providence | 87 | 230 | +164.4% |
| Maureen HarkavyPsychiatry | Providence | 56 | 165 | +194.6% |
| Karen RosenPsychiatry & Neurology | Providence | 16 | 50 | +212.5% |
| Doriana MorarPsychiatry | Providence | 33 | 106 | +221.2% |
| Jeffrey HuntPsychiatry | East Providence | 16 | 72 | +350% |
| Amy HaltPsychiatry | Providence | 12 | 55 | +358.3% |
| Richard MillerPsychiatry & Neurology | Providence | 22 | 133 | +504.5% |
| Courtney DebanPsychiatry & Neurology | Providence | 18 | 112 | +522.2% |
| Paul BowaryPsychiatry & Neurology | Providence | 13 | 84 | +546.2% |
| Barbara RufPsychiatry | Providence | 90 | 613 | +581.1% |
| Caitlin LawrencePsychiatry | Providence | 31 | 227 | +632.3% |
| Brian TesarPsychiatry | Providence | 37 | 284 | +667.6% |
| Shiwen YuanPsychiatry & Neurology | Providence | 20 | 205 | +925% |
| Michael BurgardPsychiatry | Providence | — | 632 | — |
| Hung-Teh KaoPsychiatry | Providence | — | 198 | — |
| Kazi SalahuddinPsychiatry | Providence | — | 180 | — |
| Bhargav PatelPsychiatry | Providence | — | 156 | — |
| Paul WallacePsychiatry | Providence | — | 135 | — |
| Jamison RogersPsychiatry | East Providence | — | 112 | — |
| Federico Gomez BernalPsychiatry | East Providence | — | 95 | — |
| Sharath PuttichandaPsychiatry | Providence | — | 84 | — |
| Rendueles VillalbaPsychiatry | Providence | — | 83 | — |
| Rodrigo NardiPsychiatry | North Providence | — | 81 | — |
| Claire WilliamsNeuropsychiatry | West Warwick | — | 68 | — |
| Haitham AhmedPsychiatry | East Providence | — | 68 | — |
| Michael FioriPsychiatry | Providence | — | 62 | — |
| Ammar El SaraPsychiatry | Providence | — | 55 | — |
| Laura LevinePsychiatry | Providence | — | 49 | — |
| Meghan RiddleGeriatric Psychiatry | Providence | — | 48 | — |
| Firas YatimPsychiatry & Neurology | Providence | — | 30 | — |
| Sirin TapanPsychiatry & Neurology | Providence | — | 29 | — |
| Jeffrey WishikPsychiatry & Neurology | Providence | — | 27 | — |
| Sydney KriegsmanPsychiatry & Neurology | Providence | — | 26 | — |
| Marisa HollinsheadPsychiatry & Neurology | Providence | — | 26 | — |
| Elizabeth NiemiecPsychiatry & Neurology | Newport | — | 25 | — |
| Maxwell LawlorPsychiatry & Neurology | Providence | — | 24 | — |
| Alesia AntoinePsychiatry & Neurology | Providence | — | 22 | — |
| Micah Duggins-WarfPsychiatry & Neurology | Providence | — | 20 | — |
| Edward SheehanPsychiatry | Providence | — | 19 | — |
| Stephanie HartselleNeuropsychiatry | Providence | — | 17 | — |
| Fauzia Wali-KhanPsychiatry | North Smithfield | — | 17 | — |
| Jose RengifoPsychiatry | Providence | — | 17 | — |
| Nicholas MccroryPsychiatry & Neurology | Providence | — | 17 | — |
| Rachel Ruderman-LooffPsychiatry & Neurology | Providence | — | 16 | — |
| David CarlsonPsychiatry | Westerly | — | 16 | — |
| Meesha AhujaPsychiatry | Providence | — | 15 | — |
| Andrea YounesPsychiatry & Neurology | Cumberland | — | 14 | — |
| Megan MccordicPsychiatry & Neurology | Providence | — | 14 | — |
| Elyssa ShamPsychiatry & Neurology | Providence | — | 13 | — |
| Stephen CurtisPsychiatry & Neurology | Providence | — | 12 | — |
| Nisha JainPsychiatry & Neurology | Providence | — | 12 | — |
| Wilbert YeungPsychiatry | Providence | — | 12 | — |
| Meghan KulakPsychiatry & Neurology | Providence | — | 12 | — |
| Samir PatelPsychiatry | Providence | — | 11 | — |
| Lindsay MillikenPsychiatry & Neurology | Providence | — | 11 | — |
| Laura MayerPsychiatry & Neurology | Providence | — | 11 | — |
| Seth ClarkAddiction Medicine | Providence | — | 11 | — |
| Reema HusainPsychiatry | Providence | 12 | 133 | +1008.3% |
| Teresa GreerPsychiatry | Charlestown | 15 | 215 | +1333.3% |
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 Rhode Island
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 Rhode Island?
It rose 1% between 2013 and 2024 in Medicare Part D — a slower fall than the country as a whole, where prescribing fell 12.9%. In 2024, Rhode Island recorded 184,889 benzodiazepine claims across 34,618 patients.
How does Rhode Island compare to other states?
Rhode Island ranks 5 of 51 for prescribing intensity, at 5.34 benzodiazepine fills per patient per year, and 45 of 51 for the size of its decline since 2013 (1 being the steepest fall).
Which benzodiazepine is prescribed most in Rhode Island?
Clonazepam, at 59,272 claims — 32.1% of the state's benzodiazepine prescribing in 2024. Next are Lorazepam (29.4%) and Alprazolam (27.3%).
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.