Economic appraisal of antidepressant pharmacotherapy: critical review of the literature and future directions

Abstract

In the United States, an estimated $44 billion is expended annually for the treatment, morbidity, and mortality associated with depression. Domestic and international cost-containment initiatives are mandating a demonstration of value for money defined in terms of a measurable health and/or financial outcome, and, in the case of medicines, attributable to a given expenditure for a given pharmacotherapeutic option. Recent pharmacotherapeutic advances in the treatment of depression have included the development of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), thereby providing an alternative to tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs). Herein, we review the pharmacoeconomic literature relative to antidepressant pharmacotherapy and identify issues for future inquiry. Depression and Anxiety, Volume 8, Supplement 1:121–127, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.