title: Economic impact of nonpersistence with antidepressant treatment in the adult population of Quebec: a comparative cost-effectiveness approach.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although for the great majority of indications, practice guidelines recommend that antidepressants (ADs) be used for at least 6 months, premature discontinuation is very frequent in a "real-life" setting. Previous studies have assessed the economic impact of such nonpersistence, but differences across antidepressant products remain inadequately explored.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To compare treatment persistence and incremental cost/persistence ratios (ICPRs) across individual new ADs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and atypical ADs) as well as the associated direct health-care costs in the adult population covered by the public drug program of Quebec.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective cohort study was conducted in 13,936 adults aged 18 to 64 years who started an AD treatment in 2003. Persistence was defined as treatment duration of at least 6 months regardless of whether a product switch had occurred. Economic impact was assessed over the first year of treatment through drug, medical services, hospitalization, and total health-care costs. Comparisons across products were conducted using the ICPR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Adjusting for confounders, treatment nonpersistence ranged from 60.4% (paroxetine) to 65.1% (citalopram). The product associated with the highest total health-care costs was citalopram (CDN$2653) and the lowest was venlafaxine (CDN$2168). Fluvoxamine had the lowest mean AD costs (CDN$215) and venlafaxine (CDN$309) the highest.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Total health-care costs were similar across products except for citalopram, which was more costly. Comparisons based on the ICPR revealed that paroxetine, fluoxetine, and venlafaxine were more favorable than the other AD alternatives.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Pharmacy, Université de Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Sarah-Gabrielle
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Béland
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tournier
authors.forename: Guillaume
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Galbaud du Fort
authors.forename: Ralph
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Crott
authors.forename: Thierry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ducruet
authors.forename: Antoine
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pariente
authors.forename: Yola
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Moride
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000191:economics* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis / Q000191:economics; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000191:economics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance; D011792:Quebec / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents