title: Healthcare expenditure in patients treated with venlafaxine or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors for depression and anxiety.
abstract: We compared healthcare expenditure over a six-month period following initiation of therapy with either venlafaxine (immediate and extended-release) or a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) in depressed patients with or without anxiety. Patients beginning treatment for a new depressive episode were identified retrospectively using the administrative data of the MEDSTAT MarketScan database for the period 1994-1999. Before beginning therapy, patients prescribed venlafaxine had more non-mental illnesses (0.85 vs 0.76; p<0.01) and hospitalisations for mental illness (0.53 vs 0.29; p<0.05) than patients prescribed SSRIs. In the six months after initiating treatment, venlafaxine was associated with lower hospitalisation expenditure for non-mental illness ($177 vs $526; p<0.01) than SSRIs, although total healthcare expenditure was not significantly different. Venlafaxine was associated with a 50% decrease in the odds of hospitalisation for non-mental illness compared with SSRIs, with significantly lower inpatient expenditure.
authors.affiliation: Wyeth Research, Philadelphia, PA 19087, USA.
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Wan
authors.forename: W H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Crown
authors.forename: E R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Berndt
authors.forename: S N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Finkelstein
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ling
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000191:economics*; D003511:Cyclohexanols / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016208:Databases, Factual; D003863:Depression / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000191:economics*; D016527:Drug Costs; D005260:Female; D005102:Health Expenditures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017721:Hospital Costs; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014481:United States; D000069470:Venlafaxine Hydrochloride
chemical_list: D003511:Cyclohexanols; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors; D000069470:Venlafaxine Hydrochloride