Introduction: Consumption of psychoactive medicaments in Slovak Republic and in the world has increased significantly in recent years. Their use/abuse represents a serious health and social problem. Analysis of its fatal consequences is one of the essential indicators of the seriousness of the problem. The aim of the work was to ascertain occurrence of fatal intoxications caused by non-opioid psychoactive medicaments in autopsy material of Bratislava forensic medicine workplaces. Methods: The analysis included all those deceased who died in relation to psychoactive medicaments overdose in the territory of the Bratislava and Trnava self-governing regions autopsied at Bratislava forensic medicine workplaces within the period of the years 2001-2017 was performed. In all cases additional laboratory examinations were performed. Results: During the monitored period the criteria matched 114 cases of fatal intoxications caused by psychoactive medicaments, what represented 0.7 % of all performed autopsies. Males comprised 59 % of all cases. The age category over 35 years represented 81 % of cases. Benzodiazepines were the most frequently detected as a main substance in 46 % of cases, totally, in combination with other substances in 57 % of cases. Combination with ethanol was found in 39 % of cases, of which in 70 % it was combined also with benzodiazepines. In Bratislava region, 73 % of the deaths were found. Suicide was detected in 67 % of the cases, 55 % of the deaths occurred in the domestic environment. Conclusion: The results of the analysis point to a high risk of benzodiazepine use/misuse, possibly combined with ethanol. This fact highlights the need to pay more attention to the indication of the treatment, to the control of prescription or substitution by new, less risky medicament groups in treated psychiatric patients, especially those at risk of suicide.

Key words: psychoactive medicaments – use/abuse – fatal intoxication – autopsy – toxicological analysis