ARTYKUŁ

Urszula Kurczewska, Anna Kamińska, Aleksandra Berczyńska, Karolina Piekielnik, Irena Wejman Daria Orszulak-Michalak

Farmakoepidemiologiczne aspekty leczenia depresji ze szczególnym uwzględnieniem osób w wieku starszym
2007-08-11

Pharmacoepidemiologic aspects of depression treatment with special attention to elder people. Treatment of depressive disorders is a long term process. Discontinuation of pharmacotherapy before the proper duration of drug intake may lead to recurrences of depression. Non-compliance in this disease negatively influences patients quality of life causes disease progress and increases mortality rate.. The reasons of insubordination are often depended on individual characteristics of a patient, drugs properties and management of medical treatment. Break in pharmacotherapy is the most drastic form of non-compliance. The aim of this paper is to characterize and compare the causes and timing of antidepressive therapy discontinuation, as well as to identify its consequences among patients in different age groups. Special attention was put on elder (over 65 years old) and young (less than 30 years old) patients. The most regular cause of discontinuation of drug intake is a feeling of recovery. Most of patients stops treatment after 6 months of therapy. Almost all of them suffer deterioration, usually 1-3 months after breaking a therapy. Certainly too little information is provided in pharmacies. Psychotherapy should be a valuable supplement in most of cases. It proves also necessary to implement pharmaceutical care.