The Effect of Antidepressant Warnings on Prescribing Trends in Ontario, Canada
Paul A. Kurdyak, MD,
David N. Juurlink, MD, PhD and
Muhammad M. Mamdani, MPH, PharmD
Paul A. Kurdyak is with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, and the Insitute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, Sunnybrook Health Science Centre, Toronto. David N. Juurlink and Muhammad M. Mamdani are with the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, Sunnybrook Health Science Centre, Toronto.
FIGURE 1——New SSRI prescription rates among individuals younger than 20 years, 20–65 years, and older than 65 years: Ontario, Canada, 2001–2005.
Note. Arrows indicate the dates of the 5 antidepressant warnings: June 10, 2003 (United Kingdom), October 27, 2003 (US Food and Drug Administration [FDA]); March 22, 2004 (FDA); June 3, 2004 (Health Canada); and October 15, 2004 (FDA).
FIGURE 2——New paroxetine prescription rates (per 10 000 individuals) for individuals younger than 20 years: Ontario, Canada, 2003–2004.
Note. The time-series forecast predicts values for new paroxetine prescriptions after June 2003. Arrows indicate the dates of the 5 antidepressant warnings: June 10, 2003 (United Kingdom); October 27, 2003 (US Food and Drug Administration [FDA]); March 22, 2004 (FDA); June 3, 2004 (Health Canada); and October 15, 2004 (FDA).
FIGURE 3——New paroxetine prescription rates (per 10 000 individuals) for individuals aged 20–65 years and 66 years and older: Ontario, Canada, 2003–2004.
