Patterns of psychotropic drug dispensation in Portugal amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond

Abstract

Abstract The increasing prevalence of mental health disorders has been matched with growing psychotropic drug consumption rates around the world. Assessing psychopharmacoepidemiological trends and their determinants is essential to guide medical care delivery and public health policies. However, nation-wide studies on up-to-date consumption patterns are scarce and generally disregard relevant pharmacological, medical, socio-demographic, and economic covariates. Previous studies on the Portuguese case, known for critically high consumption rates of benzodiazepines and antidepressants, are limited to the COVID-19 pre-pandemic period. This study uses the full (electronic) dispensation registry of antidepressants, benzodiazepines and zolpidem, antipsychotics and mood stabilisers in Portugal during the years of 2019 to 2022 to model relevant prescription and consumption patterns prior to, during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The data reveal an accelerated growth trend in antidepressant consumption since 2020, with a 7.41% annual increase in dispensed defined daily doses and a growing user base (1.7M users, 16.1% of the population), overtaking benzodiazepines and zolpidem as the class with most active users. The total annual expenditure has increased 14M€ between 2020 and 2022 (nearly 2M€ in public copayment), notwithstanding price drops in diverse antipsychotic drugs.