DEPRESSION AND ANTIDEPRESSANT USE IN AUSTRALIA

This article analyses the use of available antidepressants in Australi a. Antidepressants include the tricyclic antidepressants, tetracyclic antidepressants, monoamine oxidase inhibitors (both reversible and non -reversible) and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. These groups of antidepressants have different properties, different side effects and different therapeutic effects. The total number of prescriptions f or antidepressants in Australia remained at around one million per qua rter over the period from the third quarter of 1989 to the third quart er of 1993. The impact of the change in the copayment scheme in the se cond quarter in 1991 is clearly evident. In the proportions of the ant idepressant groups used, the tricyclics currently remain the most freq uently prescribed at around 80 per cent of all antidepressant prescrip tions but this is a large movement from the 93 per cent late in 1989. This illustrates the important inroads made by the newer antidepressan t drugs.