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GMDS 2014: 59. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Medizinische Informatik, Biometrie und Epidemiologie e. V. (GMDS)

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Medizinische Informatik, Biometrie und Epidemiologie

07. - 10.09.2014, Göttingen

Drug Use Patterns and Characteristics of Elderly Users of Antidepressants in Germany

Meeting Abstract

Suche in Medline nach

  • K. Jobski - Leibniz-Institut für Präventionsforschung und Epidemiologie - BIPS GmbH, Bremen
  • N. Schmedt - Leibniz-Institut für Präventionsforschung und Epidemiologie - BIPS GmbH, Bremen
  • T. Schink - Leibniz-Institut für Präventionsforschung und Epidemiologie - BIPS GmbH, Bremen
  • E. Garbe - Leibniz-Institut für Präventionsforschung und Epidemiologie - BIPS GmbH, Bremen; Human- und Gesundheitswissenschaften, Universität Bremen, Bremen

GMDS 2014. 59. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Medizinische Informatik, Biometrie und Epidemiologie e.V. (GMDS). Göttingen, 07.-10.09.2014. Düsseldorf: German Medical Science GMS Publishing House; 2014. DocAbstr. 136

doi: 10.3205/14gmds182, urn:nbn:de:0183-14gmds1825

Veröffentlicht: 4. September 2014

© 2014 Jobski et al.
Dieser Artikel ist ein Open Access-Artikel und steht unter den Creative Commons Lizenzbedingungen (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/deed.de). Er darf vervielfältigt, verbreitet und öffentlich zugänglich gemacht werden, vorausgesetzt dass Autor und Quelle genannt werden.


Gliederung

Text

Background and Objective: Antidepressants (ADs) are frequently used in elderly patients; however, knowledge on characteristics and drug use patterns of elderly users of specific AD classes and drugs is scarce. The objective of this study was to investigate characteristics and drug use patterns of elderly AD users in Germany.

Methods: Using data from the German Pharmacoepidemiological Research Database (GePaRD) we identified a cohort of persons aged 65 years or older with at least one AD dispensation between 2005 and 2009. Co-morbidity and co-medication was assessed in the year prior to cohort entry and for co-medication also during follow-up. We examined if patients used two or more ADs concurrently or switched to other AD drugs or classes. Additionally, we calculated the median duration of AD use and evaluated if treatment was discontinued. In a subgroup analysis these measures were also calculated for patients with depression.

Results: During the study period 490,114 persons aged 65 years or older received at least one AD. Median age at cohort entry was 72 years, 73% were female and 52% had a diagnosis of depression. Over 70% of patients entered the cohort with a tri- or tetracyclic AD (TCA), followed by 20% receiving a selective serotonin inhibitor (SSRI) as index AD. Amitriptyline most often led to cohort entry (21%), followed by opipramol (16%) and citalopram (12%). Median treatment duration for any AD was 85 days and varied between 33 days for doxepin users and 392 days in patients entering the cohort with sertraline. Discontinuation of treatment was found in 26% of patients ranging from 15% in SSRI users to more than 30% in patients receiving TCA. For 12% of all AD users, concurrent use or switch was identified. Compared to the whole cohort, treatment in patients with depression was longer (median 126 days), and concurrent use or switch were more common (16%).

Conclusion: Drug use patterns of AD assessed in a large cohort of elderly Germans varied substantially across drug classes and drugs. Compared to the whole cohort, patients with depression showed different patterns. Overall, the high proportion of AD users treated with TCA compared to other AD classes was remarkable.