Analyzing Trends of Price and Quantity Variation in Antidepressants

• Main Authors: Hui-Yi Liang, 梁慧怡
• Other Authors: Song-Kong Huang
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2007
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/65534926835849804461

碩士 === 國立陽明大學 === 醫務管理研究所 === 95 === Abstract Purpose: The purpose of this study is to research the usage of antidepressants in the outpatient clinics and analyze the factors that affect antidepressants cost at a hospital level. Furthermore the consideration of price and quantity, and kinds of antidepressants is taken under consideration in this research. Methods: Data regarding antidepressants were obtained from the National Health Insurance Research Database (NHRID) covering a period from 2000 to 2002. 118 antidepressants with codes were acquired from the National Health Insurance Research Database (NHRID) as the study subjects. Stepwise regression was used to evaluate the factors affecting the antidepressants’ cost for the hospitals. The antidepressants were divided into four different categories: single-source drugs, multiple-source drugs, BA/BE generic drugs and generic drugs. After calculating the average price and the quantity of the drugs, these factors were later added into the drug expense formula. The result of the formula indicates the primary reason for the increased drug spending. Results: The prescription of antidepressants in the outpatient clinics grew annually and stepwise regression shows that the factors associated with the antidepressants drug cost are; gender, age, medical treatment type, drug category, hospital level, hospital ownership and year of research. The antidepressants cost shows that the main factor of an increase in drug expenses were due to an increase in quantity. Conclusions: The results of this research show that the usage of antidepressants in Taiwan increased annually, as well as the drug expenses. The patients’ conditions, category of drugs applied, year of research, and characteristics of the hospital all influenced the cost of antidepressants to some extent, especially when the hospital ownership and hospital level were taken under consideration. The increase of the drug expenses was mainly due to the increase of prescribed antidepressant drugs.