Frequent early discontinuation of SSRI prescribed by primary care physicians in young males in Japan.
OBJECTIVE
In the present study, we tried to clarify the prevalence of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) prescription and early discontinuation of SSRI in a outpatient unit where primary care physicians are working in Japan.


METHODS
Consecutive outpatients who newly visited the Department of General Medicine, Asahikawa Medical College Hospital, Asahikawa, Japan between April 2004 and March 2008 were analyzed. Each parameter such as age, sex, diagnosis, period of continuation of SSRI or reason why they discontinued SSRI was investigated.


RESULTS
Among 4670 patients, 126 patients (2.7%) had been prescribed SSRI because of depressive state (n=117) or panic disorder (n=9). Female patients with depression received SSRI (84/2714 = 3.10%) more frequently than male patients (33/1956 = 1.69%). Out of 117 patients with depression who had been prescribed SSRI, 28 (23.9%) patients discontinued SSRI within 4 weeks. Male patients (30.5%) discontinued SSRI within 4 weeks due to patient's decision more frequently than female patients (11.1%). The rate of patients who discontinued SSRI within 4 weeks due to patient's decision was particularly high (6/9; 67%) in male patients aged 20 to 29 years.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest for the first time that there is a high prevalence of early discontinuation of SSRI in young male patients in Japan.
Tanno
Sachie
S
Department of General Medicine, Asahikawa Medical College, Asahikawa.
Ohhira
Masumi
M
Tsuchiya
Yoshihiro
Y
Takeuchi
Toshiharu
T
Tanno
Satoshi
S
Okumura
Toshikatsu
T
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D003863:Depression / Q000188:drug therapy; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016584:Panic Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy; D010349:Patient Compliance; D011320:Primary Health Care; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D055815:Young Adult
D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors