2751 – Factors Influencing the Selection of Antidepressant by Pakistani Psychiatrists

Abstract

Objective:

To examine the factors that influence mental health professional's prescription of antidepressant.

Background:

There are many studies on factors affecting decision of mental health professionals regarding selection of antidepressant. The clinical experience of the developing countries is different from that of the developed countries where nonpharmacological attributes of a drug like affordability and availability play a greater role in prescription of drug.

Methods:

A semi-structured questionnaire was used to investigate which antidepressant was the preferred choice of psychiatrists and nurses and factors which influenced their decision making. Ethical permissions were obtained from local research and ethics committees.

Results:

The results of this study show that health professional would consider efficacy (64%) and tolerability (24%) to be the most important factors in choice of anti psychotics for themselves while efficacy (56%) and cost (24%) would be considered important factor while prescribing drugs to the patient.

Conclusions:

Beside efficacy other factors like cost & affordability found to be the important factor in influencing the decision of the psychiatrists.