Assessment of pharmacological strategies for management of major depressive disorder and their costs after an inadequate response to first-line antidepressant treatment in primary care

• Published in: Annals of general psychiatry Vol. 11; no. 1; p. 22
• Main Authors: Sicras-Mainar, Antoni, Maurino, Jorge, Cordero, Luis, Blanca-Tamayo, Milagrosa, Navarro-Artieda, Ruth
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 03.08.2012; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Advertising executives; Analysis; Antidepressants; Costs; Disease; Drug dosages; Drug therapy; Economic aspects; First-line antidepressant treatment; Health aspects; Health facilities; Hospitals; Major depressive disorder; Medical care, Cost of; Medical economics; Medical records; Medical research; Medicine, Experimental; Mental health; Patient compliance; Primary care; Primary Research; Remission; Spain
• ISSN: 1744-859X; 1744-859X
• DOI: 10.1186/1744-859X-11-22

The aim of the study was to determine the most common treatment strategies and their costs for patients with an inadequate response to first-line antidepressant treatment (AD) in primary care. A retrospective cohort study of medical records from six primary care centers was conducted. Adults with a major depressive disorder diagnosis, at least 8 weeks of AD treatment after the first prescription, and patient monitoring for 12 months were analyzed. Healthcare (direct cost) and non-healthcare costs (indirect costs; work productivity losses) were described. A total of 2,260 patients were studied. Forty-three percent of patients (N = 965) presented an inadequate response to treatment. Summarizing the different treatment approaches: 43.2% were switched to another AD, 15.5% were given an additional AD, AD dose was increased in 14.6%, and 26.7% remained with the same antidepressant agent. Healthcare/annual costs were 451.2 Euros for patients in remission vs. 826.1 Euros in those with inadequate response, and productivity losses were 991.4 versus 1,842.0 Euros, respectively (p < 0.001). Antidepressant switch was the most common therapeutic approach performed by general practitioners in naturalistic practice. A delay in treatment change when no remission occurs and a significant heterogeneity in management of these patients were also found.