Prescriptions for Fear of Flying

Posted on July 27th, 2023

Crown Medical Practice will no longer be prescribing diazepam or other sedative drugs for fear of flying.

This is due to the following reasons:

1. The British National Formulary (which is our national prescribing guideline) states that doctors should not prescribe diazepam for fear of flying
2. Diazepam is a sedative which could affect your ability to deal with anything that might happen on the flight
3. In some people, diazepam causes: agitation, anxiety, confusion, drowsiness, altered mood
4. Diazepam is illegal in some countries and being in possession of it could lead to trouble with the Police
5. There is evidence that prescribing diazepam for fear of flying makes the underlying fear worse in the long-run

Instead, we recommend a Fear of Flying Course which many airlines are running. Here are the links to two of them:

Easy Jet – www.fearlessflyer.easyjet.com

British Airways – https://flyingwithconfidence.com