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Antidepressant-treated Patients in Ambulatory Care

Long-term use of Non-Psychotropic and Psychotropic Drugs

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Kerstin Bingefors ,
Dag Isacson ,
Lars Von Knorring ,
Björn Smedby ,
Lisa Ekselius  and
Lawrence L. Kupper
Kerstin Bingefors*
Affiliation:
Department of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Services Research, and Centre for Primary Care Research, Department of Social Medicine, and Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital, Uppsala University
Dag Isacson
Affiliation:
Department of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Services Research, and Centre for Primary Care Research, Uppsala University
Lars Von Knorring
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital
Björn Smedby
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital
Lisa Ekselius
Affiliation:
Department of Social Medicine and Centre for Primary Care Research, Uppsala University
Lawrence L. Kupper
Affiliation:
Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, N.C., USA
*
Assistant Professor Kerstin Bingefors, Department of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Services Research, Uppsala University Biomedical Centre, P.O. Box 586, S-751 23 Uppsala, Sweden
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Abstract

Background

Despite the problems involved in treating depression and concomitant medical disease, there are virtually no longitudinal studies on drug utilisation among depressed patients.

Method

Use of prescription drugs among all first-time users of antidepressants in a defined population five years before and six years after the index (first) treatment was compared to a referent group without antidepressant treatment. The generalised estimating equations (GEE) method was used for analysis.

Results

The antidepressant-treated group used considerably more non-psychotropic drugs during the whole study period than the referent group. They also used more psychotropic drugs, a use which increased in connection with the initiation of antidepressant treatment and stayed high for a further five years.

Conclusions

The high use of prescription drugs indicated widespread somatic and psychiatric health problems during the whole study period. Antidepressant-treated patients are at risk for drug interactions and adverse effects, and would benefit from a closer collaboration between psychiatry and medicine.

Type
Research Article
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 168 , Issue 3 , March 1996 , pp. 292 - 298
Copyright
Copyright © 1996 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

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