Centre for Policy on Ageing



How do general practitioners select antidepressants for depressed elderly people?
Author(s)	Rob Butler, Elizabeth Collins, Cornelius Katona
Journal title	International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, vol 15, no 7, July 2000
Pages	pp 610-613
Keywords	Drugs ; Depression ; General practice.
Annotation	Selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are increasingly being prescribed for depression. However, their use as a first line treatment remains controversial as they cost more. This study aimed to identify factors predicting general practitioners' (GPs) choice of which antidepressant to prescribe for depression in older people, using a postal questionnaire survey based on three clinical case vignettes. GPs prescribing SSRIs gave 'few side effects' and safer in overdose as the most important reasons for choosing the antidepressant. Older GPs were more likely to use unmodified tricyclics, and selected drugs based on their knowledge and experience in use of the drug. Cost was rarely a primary consideration. Educational programmes should deal with the reluctance of some GPs to use new or unfamiliar medications, and should also highlight issues relating to side-effects and drug safety. (RH).
Accession Number	CPA-000823230 A
Classmark	LLD: ENR: L5
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...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing.