Antidepressant drug prescribing among elderly subjects: a population-based study

Area of Science:

• Geriatric pharmacology
• Public health
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Antidepressant prescribing patterns in large elderly populations are understudied.
• This study investigates antidepressant use in Lombardy, Italy's elderly population (over 1.5 million).

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence and distribution of antidepressant prescribing in the elderly population of Lombardy.
• To analyze patterns of antidepressant use across different age groups within the elderly demographic.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the Regional Administrative Database of Lombardy, encompassing all National Health System-reimbursed prescriptions.
• Extracted antidepressant prescriptions for individuals aged 65 and above in 2001.
• Calculated prevalence by dividing antidepressant users by the total elderly resident population, stratified by age and sex.

Main Results:

• 9.49% of the elderly population (153,706 individuals) used antidepressants in 2001.
• Antidepressant use prevalence was 9.49 per 100 inhabitants (95% CI: 9.44, 9.53).
• Over 35% of individuals older than 85 were moderate or chronic antidepressant users; General Practitioners (GPs) issued most prescriptions, often concurrently with medications for other medical disorders.

Conclusions:

• High antidepressant prescribing rates in the elderly warrant further characterization of patient profiles, including medical, psychiatric, and quality-of-life factors.
• The findings support the need for pragmatic clinical trials in general practice to evaluate antidepressant efficacy in elderly populations.