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TaperOffBenzos

Benzodiazepine Prescribing in Vermont

Medicare Part D, 20132024.

Benzodiazepine prescribing in Vermont fell 19.5% between 2013 and 2024a steeper fall than the country as a whole. In 2024 the state recorded 73,449 Medicare Part D benzodiazepine claims across 15,567 patients, an average of 4.72 fills per patient per year, which ranks 23 of 51 states. Lorazepam accounts for 39.5% of it.

73,449
Claims, 2024
15,567
Patients, 2024
4.72
Fills per patient
-19.5%
Since 2013

Vermont over twelve years

103k86k70k201320192024
Medicare Part D benzodiazepine claims in Vermont, 2013–2024

Which benzodiazepines Vermont prescribes

DrugClaims 2024Share
Lorazepam29,02139.5%
Clonazepam24,26033%
Alprazolam8,98612.2%
Diazepam8,59811.7%
Temazepam1,9312.6%

Psychiatric prescribers in Vermont

69 psychiatric prescribers in Vermont appear in the 2024 Medicare Part D data with benzodiazepine claims. 17 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
Desiree BiesheuvelPsychiatrySpringfield59512-98%
Alya ReevePsychiatryBennington38014-96.3%
Patricia DalyPsychiatryHartford22911-95.2%
Dorothea De GutisPsychiatryBrattleboro35730-91.6%
Suzan WhiteAddiction MedicineSaint Albans12013-89.2%
Ethan KarsenPsychiatryBerlin12917-86.8%
Gwyn CattellPsychiatryWhiting7012-82.9%
David MooneyPsychiatryBerlin10225-75.5%
Joseph LasekPsychiatryBurlington20250-75.2%
Kevin BuchananPsychiatryRandolph746201-73.1%
Mark McgeePsychiatryBrattleboro17450-71.3%
Margaret SpottswoodPsychiatryBurlington8527-68.2%
David AllanPsychiatry & NeurologyWilliston6521-67.7%
Harris StrokoffPsychiatryBerlin17759-66.7%
Clifton LordAddiction MedicineWindsor6624-63.6%
Holliday RayfieldPsychiatryEssex Junction4115-63.4%
Robert PierattiniPsychiatryBurlington6230-51.6%
Richard KastPsychiatryBurlington9550-47.4%
Jennifer FauntleroyPsychiatryRutland305175-42.6%
Paul BoutinPsychiatryBrattleboro7946-41.8%
Kathleen PittawayPsychiatry & NeurologyMoretown201127-36.8%
Harvey KleinPsychiatryBurlington10269-32.4%
Linda ZamvilPsychiatry & NeurologyMorrisville190132-30.5%
Gian BentivoglioPsychiatryNewport215150-30.2%
Sandra SteingardPsychiatryBurlington214154-28%
Adebowale MofikoyaPsychiatryBurlington161117-27.3%
Gary KellerPsychiatryBurlington187137-26.7%
James StonePsychiatryMontpelier442333-24.7%
Robert DuncanPsychiatryMontpelier722555-23.1%
Amalia LeePsychiatry & NeurologyTownshend3831-18.4%
James JacobsonPsychiatryBurlington10389-13.6%
Matthew RichardsonPsychiatryBurlington3833-13.2%
Lisa Catapano-FriedmanPsychiatryBennington7667-11.8%
Robin LessoffPsychiatryWilliston9686-10.4%
Judith TietzPsychiatryTownshend975953-2.3%
Andrew StollPsychiatryMontpelier307338+10.1%
Betty MorwoodPsychiatrySouth Burlington8599+16.5%
Adam PruettPsychiatryRutland86102+18.6%
Jennifer HallGeriatric PsychiatryBurlington102157+53.9%
Erin HallPsychiatryWilliston3566+88.6%
Terry RabinowitzPsychiatryBurlington3262+93.8%
Catherine HickeyPsychiatryBennington59119+101.7%
Lizabeth PontzerPsychiatry & NeurologySouth Burlington1643+168.8%
Thomas SimpaticoPsychiatry & NeurologyWaterbury99468+372.7%
Jenny ShenPsychiatry & NeurologyBurlington32160+400%
Kulsoom KhanPsychiatryHartford348
David AppelPsychiatryBurlington318
Justin KnappPsychiatryBerlin158
Simha RavvenPsychiatryBurlington122
Alan FrascoiaPsychiatryWindsor98
Brian RosenPsychiatryBerlin86
Amanda NgPsychiatrySouth Burlington74
Philip LaplantePsychiatryBrattleboro68
Julie DebackerPsychiatry & NeurologyBurlington46
Shayer ChowdhuryPsychiatryHartford37
Theodore MillerPsychiatryBellows Falls27
Jada KhoslaPsychiatryMontpelier27
Kyle MonahanPsychiatryWilliston25
Jeremiah DickersonPsychiatryBurlington23
Mason StillmanPsychiatryBerlin20
Magdalena NaylorPsychiatryBurlington19
Megan BrennanPsychiatryBurlington17
Genevieve WilliamsonPsychiatryNorth Ferrisburgh15
Judith LewisPsychiatryBurlington14
Nolan NeuPsychiatryBerlin14
Lesley BrodiePsychiatry & NeurologyManchester Center12
William HornPsychiatry & NeurologyBurlington12
Anne CleggPsychiatryJericho11
Casey PatunoffPsychiatrySaint Albans11133+1109.1%

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 Vermont

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 Vermont?

It fell 19.5% between 2013 and 2024 in Medicare Part D — a steeper fall than the country as a whole, where prescribing fell 12.9%. In 2024, Vermont recorded 73,449 benzodiazepine claims across 15,567 patients.

How does Vermont compare to other states?

Vermont ranks 23 of 51 for prescribing intensity, at 4.72 benzodiazepine fills per patient per year, and 16 of 51 for the size of its decline since 2013 (1 being the steepest fall).

Which benzodiazepine is prescribed most in Vermont?

Lorazepam, at 29,021 claims — 39.5% of the state's benzodiazepine prescribing in 2024. Next are Clonazepam (33%) and Alprazolam (12.2%).

Source

CMS Medicare Part D Prescribers public use files, data years 20132024 (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.