Items Tagged With SSRIs

Following the US Food and Drug Administration's warning about the possible risk of suicide among teens when they're treated with antidepressant drugs known as SSRIs, the rates of diagnosis and treatment of depression among adults have declined significantly, according to a new report.

"While some degree of decline in antidepressant prescribing was not unexpected after the black box warning was issued, few if any had predicted diagnosing to decline, or that other modes of treatment (psychotherapy or other medications) would remain relatively unchanged," Dr. Robert J. Valuck told Reuters Health. "It was thought that the latter two may increase to compensate for fewer antidepressant prescriptions being written."

Valuck, from the University of Colorado at Denver, and colleagues examined data relating to depression among 400,000 adult patients enrolled in managed care plans.

I don't know what to make of it: the number one drug in the universe (Prozac) has now been relegated to nearly last place, while a drug that ten years ago was at the bottom of the atypical antispychotic playlist is now number one with a bullet.
Many people complain about pharmaceutical involvement in doctor prescribing practices, and while this certainly is an issue, what people don't seem to acknowledge is how doctors themselves, independent of Pharma, have prescribing drift. Doctors want to try the latest drugs and see if they're better; but even if they end up being the same and no better, they never drift back. That has nothing to do with Pharma. It's just a habit. Habits are comfortable.

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