PMH34 LONG-TERM UTILIZATION OF ANTIDEPRESSANT DRUGS: PREVALENCE AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS

Abstract

Antidepressant drugs consumption has risen in recent years driven by longer treatment duration. The objective of this study was to measure the prevalence of log-term use of antidepressants among incident antidepressants users in the Bologna area, Italy, and to identify main determinants. We conducted a retrospective claims-based cohort study by using the Bologna Local Health Authority data. A cohort of 18,307 incident users of antidepressants in 2013 was selected and subjects were followed for three years. Long-term use was defined as having at least one prescription for antidepressants claimed in each year of the follow-up and chronic use as claiming at least 180 defined daily doses per year. Factors associated with chronic and long-term use were identified by univariate and multivariate logistic regressions. 5448 (29.8%) and 1817 (9.9%) subjects were long-term and chronic users, respectively. Older age, polytherapy with antidepressants, polypharmacy (>5 drugs claimed) and being prescribed the first antidepressant by a hospital physician, were independently associated with chronic and long-term use. Sex was not a determinant. Antidepressant drugs long-term use is common in our population. Because longer treatments should be clinically motivated, these results strongly encourage the need to assess actual appropriateness as they may indicate potentially inappropriate prescription patterns.