A pharmacist-guided protocol for improved monitoring of patients on antidepressants

Local guidelines recommend that patients treated for depression receive 3 follow-ups within 12 weeks of antidepressant initiation; however, this is often not achieved in practice.

A monitoring protocol was implemented as a quality improvement project at Wingra Access Medical Center in which patients treated for anxiety or depression received a follow-up phone call 1 to 2 weeks after starting an antidepressant.

A retrospective chart review demonstrated the percentage of patients achieving 3 follow-ups within 12 weeks significantly increased from 7% to 24% following implementation.

Results suggest the protocol is a feasible method to improve antidepressant followup in primary care. Confounding factors including cohort dissimilarities and introduction of a behavioral health service should be considered.