Sclar DA, Robinson LM, Skaer TL, Galin RS, Trends in the prescribing of antidepressant pharmacotherapy: office-based visits, 1990-1995. Clin Ther 1998 Jul-Aug 20:4 871-84; 870

The number of US office-based visits resulting in a prescription for an antidepressant drug was estimated to have increased from 16,534,268 in 1990 to 28,664,796 in 1995, a 73.4% increase. Between 1990 and 1995, the number of office-based visits at which a diagnosis of depression was documented increased 23.2%, though the proportion of patients with a diagnosis of depression and prescribed antidepressant drugs increased only 14.9%, from 52.1% in 1990 to 67.0% in 1995. Among patients with a diagnosis of depression, use of a TCA declined from 42.1% in 1990 to 24.9% in 1995. In contrast, use of an SSRI for the treatment of depression increased from 37.1% in 1990 to 64.6% in 1995. The rate of office-based visits at which the use of antidepressant pharmacotherapy for any purpose was documented increased from 6.7 per 100 US population in 1990 to 10.9 in 1995, a 62.7% increase. Documentation of a diagnosis of depression increased from 6.1 per 100 US population in 1990 to 7.1 in 1995, a 16.4% increase; and the recording of a diagnosis of depression for which antidepressants were prescribed increased from 3.2 per 100 US population in 1990 to 4.8 in 1995, a 50.0% increase.

Back to 4.2