Treatment costs of venlafaxine and selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors for depression and anxiety.
In this article, health care expenditures are assessed for patients diagnosed with depression who are being treated with either venlafaxine (immediate or extended release) or a selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). Patients beginning treatment for a new depressive episode were identified retrospectively from 1994 to 1998. Before beginning therapy, patients prescribed venlafaxine (N = 353) had more nonmental illnesses (0.84 vs. 0.75 clinical events/patient, respectively; P < .01) and hospitalizations for mental illness (0.56 vs. 0.30 hospitalizations/patient; P = .06) than patients prescribed SSRIs (N = 7,330). In the six months after initiating treatment, venlafaxine was associated with lower hospitalization expenditures for nonmental illness than were SSRIs ($206 vs. $472, respectively; P = .02), but total health care expenditures were not significantly different.
Wan
George J
GJ
Wyeth Research, Philadelphia, USA. wang@wyeth.com
Crown
William H
WH
Berndt
Ernst R
ER
Finkelstein
Stan N
SN
Ling
Davina
D
D000328:Adult; D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation / Q000191:economics* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001007:Anxiety / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003511:Cyclohexanols / Q000191:economics* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016527:Drug Costs; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008329:Managed Care Programs / Q000191:economics*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000191:economics* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014481:United States; D000069470:Venlafaxine Hydrochloride
D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation; D003511:Cyclohexanols; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors; D000069470:Venlafaxine Hydrochloride