Is it possible to measure differences in the cost of antidepressant overdoses?

In this paper an attempt is described to measure the cost differential betw een treating episodes of overdose on older antidepressants (e.g. TCAs) and those involving newer antidepressants (e.g. SSRIs). Data is presented showi ng that it is possible to demonstrate a marked cost differential between ol der and newer agents; although there are difficulties in precisely quantify ing the difference. The limitations of the data are discussed and recommend ations made for the methodology of a larger, more sensitive, study. (C) 199 9 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.