Studying the prescription pattern of medications will help in understanding potential unnecessary prescriptions, due to the trial-and-error method of prescribing, and the need for personalized medicine in a population. Therefore, in this study, our aim was to explore the prescribing pattern and off-label use of antidepressants in the Qatari population. We conducted a retrospective study of Qatari patients who received prescriptions for antidepressants from the major healthcare providers in Qatar, for a period of 24 months between June 2018 and May 2020. The number of patients, prescriptions, and diagnostic indications were analyzed. The chi-square test was used for identifying statistically significant association of the number of individuals prescribed with age category or gender. Of the 14,601 Qatari patients who were prescribed antidepressants, the majority were female (61%, p < 2.2 × 10-16), and were at or above 60 years of age (27%, p < 2.2 × 10-16). More numbers of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) (22,085 out of 48,031; 46%), were dispensed than other classes of antidepressants, with escitalopram (26%) at the top of the list. Preponderance of prescription of antidepressants for non-mental health diseases was observed. Population-level prescription trends, as we reported here, when combined with patient genetic variability and outcome data, will have the power to predict the potential for treatment failures and adverse effects of these medications in the population. We also recommend educating non-mental health prescribers about the adherence to evidence and guidelines to ensure patient safety while prescribing antidepressants.
Keywords: Middle East; antidepressants; prescription pattern.