Predictors of Treatment with Duloxetine or Venlafaxine XR among Adult Patients Treated for Depression in Primary Care Practices in the United Kingdom

Table 3

Pre-period medication use¹ among patients initiating duloxetine or venlafaxine XR.

	Duloxetine		Venlafaxine XR		𝑃 value
	𝑛	%	𝑛	%
Antidepressant—SNRI	16	1.8%	10	0.8%	0.036
Antidepressant—TCAs	228	25.1%	273	21.2%	0.034
Antidepressant—MAOIs	8	0.9%	4	0.3%	0.075
Antidepressant—SSRI	679	74.7%	985	76.6%	0.307
Antidepressant—Other	170	18.7%	236	18.4%	0.835
Anxiolytics/hypnotics/muscle relaxants^2	406	44.7%	530	41.2%	0.107
Antipsychotics	135	14.9%	201	15.6%	0.618
Stimulants	12	1.3%	11	0.9%	0.292
Antimanics	19	2.1%	21	1.6%	0.43
Anticonvulsants	86	9.5%	66	5.1%	<0.001
Analgesics—opioids^3	329	36.2%	305	23.7%	<0.001
Analgesics—non-opioids	427	47.0%	436	33.9%	<0.001
Analgesics—migraine medications	57	6.3%	86	6.7%	0.697
Cardiovascular Disease Medications	340	37.4%	324	25.2%	<0.001
Antihyperlipidemics	189	20.8%	124	9.6%	<0.001
Antihypertensives	230	25.3%	186	14.5%	<0.001
Other medications	108	11.9%	120	9.3%	0.054
Thyroid hormones	68	7.5%	67	5.2%	0.029
Antidiabetics	72	7.9%	48	3.7%	<0.001
GI medications	381	41.9%	429	33.4%	<0.001
Respiratory medications	157	17.3%	195	15.2%	0.185

¹Medications were evaluated during 12-month pre-index period.
²Included sedatives, hypnotics, muscle relaxants, and all benzodiazepines, some of which are used to treat conditions other than anxiety or insomnia.
³Included all medications under BNF “Opioid analgesics” except codeine formulations used to treat diarrhea and migraine medications that contain codeine (e.g., Migraleve).