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Trends in antidepressant prescriptions among the elderly in Alberta during 1997 to 2004
Stephen C Newman1, Don Schopflocher
1Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta. stephen.newman@ualberta.ca
Objective:
To analyze trends in antidepressant (AD) prescription rates among the elderly (aged 65 years and older) in Alberta during 1997 to 2004.
Method:
Numerical data on AD prescriptions were obtained from Alberta Blue Cross. Age-standardized prescription rates were calculated according to type of AD.
Results:
The prescription rate for all ADs combined increased by 59% for men and 55% for women. This change was due entirely to serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and other recently-introduced ADs, that by 2004 accounted for 72% of AD prescriptions for men and 69% for women. For each year and type of AD, the prescription rate for women was almost double that for men.
Conclusions:
In the elderly in Alberta, prescription rates for ADs increased markedly during 1997 to 2004, especially for SSRIs and other recently introduced ADs.
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