WHO PRESCRIBES ANTIDEPRESSANT DRUGS - A SURVEY OF A SAMPLE OF PHARMACIES IN VERONA, ITALY

A 4-week cross-sectional survey was undertaken on a sample of 24 pharmacies in the city of Verona (Italy). The aims were: (1) to describe the distribution of antidepressant drugs (AD) prescription according to the type of prescriber (GP, psychiatrist, `other physician') and (2) to analyse the relationship between class of AD, type of prescriber and age/sex of patients. GPs were responsible for 31 per cent, psychiatrists for 61 per cent and `other physicians' for 8 per cent of all AD prescriptions (852). Using a log-linear model, we found that tricyclics were mainly prescribed by `other physicians', followed by psychiatrists and least by GPs. Psychiatrists and GPs prescribed more tricyclics to older patients. The pattern of prescription of second-generation AD was similar across all groups of prescribers. Older patients received more of these drugs than younger patients. Ademetionine was prescribed mainly by GPs. The rate of prescription of this drug declined with the age of the patients. A need for more data of this type, and for development of educational programmes on antidepressant drug use, is discussed.