General antidepressants prescribing trends 2009–2018 in Slovenia : a cross-sectional retrospective database study

Čebron Lipovec, Nanča (author), Anderlič, Andrej (author), Locatelli, Igor (author)

Background: Antidepressants are one of the most frequently prescribed groups of medications. The aim of the study was to evaluate the prevalence and patterns of antidepressants prescribed between 2009 and 2018 in Slovenia in different patient-age groups. Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study performed a nationwide database analysis of all outpatient antidepressant prescriptions based on Slovenian health claims data. Prevalence was defined as number of recipients prescribed at least one antidepressant per 1000 inhabitants. Antidepressant consumption was presented as total dispensed defined daily doses per year. Results: In 2018, 147,300 patients were prescribed at least one antidepressant. The prevalence had increased by 16% in ten years and by 7.6% in age standardised data. The largest increase in prevalence was seen in the oldest patients (>80 years, 25% increase); of these, antidepressants are now prescribed to 1 in 4. Use of antidepressants had increased by 38%, suggesting longer treatment duration, increase in dose prescribed or both. SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) were the most prescribed antidepressants (70% share), with escitalopram and sertraline the most commonly prescribed antidepressants. Conclusion: The prevalence of antidepressant prescribing and antidepressant consumption is increasing, mainly due to the population ageing and the increasing prescribing in elderly patients.

• Language: English
• Keywords: antidepressants, prevalence, drug utilisation, elderly patients
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FFA - Faculty of Pharmacy
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2022
• Number of pages: Str. 401-405
• Numbering: Vol. 26, no. 4
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-143675
• UDC: 615.214.3-056.24-053.88
• ISSN on article: 1365-1501
• DOI: 10.1080/13651501.2022.2057331
• COBISS.SI-ID: 104861443
• Publication date in RUL: 06.01.2023

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: International journal of psychiatry in clinical practice
• Shortened title: Int. j. psychiatry clin. pract.
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis
• ISSN: 1365-1501
• COBISS.SI-ID: 685845

Licences

• License: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
• Description: The most restrictive Creative Commons license. This only allows people to download and share the work for no commercial gain and for no other purposes.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: antidepresivna zdravila, razširjenost, uporaba zdravil, starejši bolniki