title: [Prescription of antidepressants in family practice].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the prescription of antidepressants in general practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective observational study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three health centres and one practice with two partners in the Western part of the Netherlands (near Leiden).
  
  
  METHODS
  Medication data and daily medical records of general practitioners (GPs) were analysed in the anonymous data set of Registratie network universitaire huisartspraktijken Leiden en Omstreken (RNUH-LEO, with a total of about 23,000 patients) of patients 18 years of age and over, whom the GP issued a first prescription for an antidepressant in the period May 1994-April 1995. For indication 'depression' we also evaluated whether the prescription was repeated and a minimal effective dosage was reached.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In one year 218 patients received a first prescription of an antidepressant (9/1,000/year), mostly a classical antidepressant. In 61% the indication 'depression' was found in the medical records. Sixty-three per cent had a repeat prescription after one month. Serotonin reuptake inhibitors were repeated more frequently than classical antidepressants, especially for patients under the age of 65. The minimally effective dosage was reached in 61% of the patients with depression for the classical antidepressants, and for 98% of patients with serotonin reuptake inhibitors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serotonin reuptake inhibitors were not prescribed more frequently than classical antidepressants. The percentage of patients with repeat prescriptions showed that the GPs should pay continued attention to compliance with therapy when prescribing antidepressants. The effective dosage appeared to be reached most often with serotonin reuptake inhibitors.
authors.affiliation: Rijksuniversiteit, Faculteit der Geneeskunde, vakgroep Huisartsgeneeskunde, Leiden.
authors.forename: M W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: de Waal
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stolk
authors.forename: H W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: van Marwijk
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Springer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors
vernacular_title: Voorschrijven van antidepressiva in de huisartspraktijk.