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Is it possible to measure differences in the cost of antidepressant overdoses?
Author(s) -
Hawley C. J.,
McPhee S.,
Gale T.M.,
Walker M.,
Echlin D.,
Sivakumaran T.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
human psychopharmacology: clinical and experimental
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.461
H-Index - 78
eISSN - 1099-1077
pISSN - 0885-6222
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1099-1077(199906)14:4<247::aid-hup96>3.0.co;2-k
Subject(s) - antidepressant , measure (data warehouse) , psychology , medicine , psychiatry , computer science , data mining , anxiety
In this paper an attempt is described to measure the cost differential between treating episodes of overdose on older antidepressants (e.g. TCAs) and those involving newer antidepressants (e.g. SSRIs). Data is presented showing that it is possible to demonstrate a marked cost differential between older and newer agents; although there are difficulties in precisely quantifying the difference. The limitations of the data are discussed and recommendations made for the methodology of a larger, more sensitive, study. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.