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Antidepressant drug prescribing in general practice: a 6-year study
M Balestrieri1, N Bragagnoli, C Bellantuono
1Servizio di Psicologia Medica, Università di Verona, Italy.
Journal of Affective Disorders
|January 1, 1991
Summary
Antidepressant drug prescriptions increased significantly from 1983-1988, driven by newer medications. Seasonal prescribing patterns suggest holidays, not depression onset, influence these trends.
Area of Science:
- Pharmacology
- Public Health
- General Practice
Background:
- Antidepressant drug (AD) prescription trends are crucial for understanding mental health treatment patterns.
- General Practitioners (GPs) play a key role in AD prescribing.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze AD prescription ratios among GPs in Verona, Italy, from 1983 to 1988.
- To investigate factors influencing AD prescribing patterns, including drug type and seasonality.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from a local drug information system (SIF-USL) covering a 6-year period.
- Calculated drug consumption using Defined Daily Doses (DDD/1000 patients/day) as recommended by the WHO.
- Employed harmonic analysis to examine seasonal variations in AD prescriptions.
Main Results:
- A statistically significant increase in DDD/1000 patients/day for ADs was observed over the study period.
- The rise was primarily attributed to increased use of second-generation and other non-tricyclic antidepressants.
- Prescribing showed a significant seasonal pattern, strongly correlated with holiday periods rather than depressive disorder seasonality.
Conclusions:
- AD prescribing in Verona showed a notable upward trend between 1983 and 1988.
- The shift towards newer antidepressant generations was a key driver of this increase.
- Seasonal variations in AD prescriptions appear linked to social and holiday patterns, warranting further investigation.