[Consumption of antidepressants in Chile from 1992 to 2004].
BACKGROUND
Data from the Ministry of Health show that in Chile in 2004, 17% of the population had some form of depression, and mood disorders are the tenth cause of disability-adjusted life years (DALY) loss.


OBJECTIVE
To determine consumption of antidepressants (ADs) in Chile from 1992 to 2004.


METHODS
National sales data were obtained from the company IMS Health Chile and converted into defined daily doses (DDDs) per 1,000 inhabitants per day. Available ADs were classified in four pharmacological groups (i.e., serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, SNRLs; selective-serotonin reuptake inhibitors, SSRLs; tricyclic antidepressants, TCAs; and others). Total economic burden of ADs utilization and cost per DDDs were also calculated. Trends over time were analyzed using Pearson-R2.


RESULTS
Total ADs consumption in Chile measured by DDDs per 1,000 inhabitants per day (DHD) increased linearly (y =0.901x + 1.9129; R2 =0.9296; p <0.001) from 2.5 in 1992 to 11.7 in 2004 (total growth of 470.2%). SSRLs were the drug class with higher consumption, and fluoxetine the most commonly consumed antidepressant. SSRLs were the drugs that dominated the market representing 79% of the total drug consumption throughout the years. Total economic burden of ADs in Chile (total cost of DDDs consumed) increased from US$65.4 million in 2001 to US$74.6 million in 2004 (14% increase). Average cost per DDD of all AD increased linearly, however not significantly from US$ 0.94 in 2001 to US$ 1.04 in 2004 (y =0.0362x + 0.8784; R2 =0.7382; p =0,262).


CONCLUSIONS
DDDs per 1,000 inhabitants per day increased linearly over 470% from 1992-2004. SSRLs were the most commonly consumed drugs in Chile. Future research should evaluate the cost-effectiveness of antidepressants in Chile, comparing the results with drug utilization, and determining if unnecessary expenditures have been paid out.
Jirón
Marcela
M
Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología Farmacéutica, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile. mjiron@ciq.uchile.cl
Machado
Márcio
M
Ruiz
Inés
I
D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002677:Chile; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000191:economics; D016527:Drug Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005473:Fluoxetine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000191:economics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000191:economics / Q000639:trends; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013997:Time Factors
D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D005473:Fluoxetine; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors