Antidepressant medication use among First Nations peoples residing within British Columbia

Very little is known about antidepressant medication use among First Nations people in Canada. This information would be useful to begin estimating the prevalence of conditions treated with this class of medications and planning appropriate programs. Antidepressant medication claims for First Nations people residing within British Columbia were extracted from the Non-Insured Health Benefits pharmacy database. During 2001, 9.8% (95% CI = 9.81, 9.79) of the population filled a prescription for antidepressant pharmacotherapy, claimant mean age was 40.3 years and the female:male ratio was approximately 3:1. The most common medications were Paxil, Apo-Amitriptyline, Effexor, and Celexa. Use of this medication class is common and more research is needed in this area of study.