OBJECTIVES Benzodiazepines (BZD) are often administered to patients with arterial hypertension in addition to antihypertensive agents. The aim of this study was to analyze patterns of BSD usage among hypertensive outpatients in Serbia according to sex and age. METHODS Data on BZD issued on prescription for the International classification of diseases (ICD) code I10 (essential arterial hypertension) were collected from all state-owned pharmacies in Novi Sad (population 350,000) from September 2011 to February 2012. Consumption was calculated using the ATC/DDD methodology. RESULTS BZD accounted for 2% of all drugs issued in treatment of hypertension. The total amount of BZD issued was 2.27 DDD/1000inh/day. Bromazepam (51.38 %) and diazepam (37.56 %) were the most commonly used BSD and accounted for almost 90% of all BSD utilized. Lorazepam accounted for 8.36% of total consumption. Other agents (alprazolam, nitrazepam, midazolam, klonazepam) accounted for less than 3% altogether. The BZD consumption increased with patient’s age – 91% being prescribed to the patients over the age of 50. Consumption was highest in age group 70-80 years. BZD were more often prescribed to female (68.63%) than to male outpatients (31.37%). CONCLUSIONS This study confirmed consumption of BZD among outpatients with hypertension. It is most common in hypertensive female and elderly population. However, since the benefits of BZD administration in hypertension control remain unclear, the adequacy of this practice is questionable. This work was supported by the Ministry of Science and Technological Development, Republic of Serbia, project No. 41012.