The importance of accidents in evaluating the cost of SSRIs: a review

• Published in: International clinical psychopharmacology Vol. 9; no. 3; p. 195
• Main Author: Hale, A S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 01.09.1994
• Subjects: Accidents - economics; Accidents, Traffic - economics; Accidents, Traffic - prevention & control; Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic - adverse effects; Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic - economics; Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic - therapeutic use; Cost-Benefit Analysis; Depressive Disorder - drug therapy; Depressive Disorder - economics; Depressive Disorder - psychology; Flicker Fusion - drug effects; Humans; Psychomotor Performance - drug effects; Sensory Thresholds - drug effects; Serotonin Uptake Inhibitors - adverse effects; Serotonin Uptake Inhibitors - economics; Serotonin Uptake Inhibitors - therapeutic use
• ISSN: 0268-1315; 1473-5857
• DOI: 10.1097/00004850-199409000-00008

Economic studies attempting to justify the increased cost of new antidepressants such as the SSRIs are often difficult to interpret, marginal benefits hinging on minute differences in assumptions and interpretation. Studies to date have focused largely upon the costs of treatment failure, which in turn relates to compliance rates. A missing factor is the cost of accidents, especially serious road traffic accidents. Most tricyclic antidepressants seriously impair driving performance, even more so than alcohol or benzodiazepines, whilst SSRIs do not. With moves towards maintenance and continuation therapy for depression, patients on tricyclics remain at long-term risk for such accidents. Cost savings from reducing the rate of accidents could more than pay for the increased costs of SSRIs.