Abstract
Background The increasing use of psychotropic drugs to treat anxiety and depressive disorders
(ADDs) is concerning. According to the study, ‘Etude Pharmacoépidémiologique de l'Impact
de Santé Publique des modes de prise en charge pour 3 groupes de pathologies’ (EPI3)-LASER,
adult ADD patients who consult a general practitioner prescribing homeopathic medicines
(GP-Ho) report less psychotropic drug use and are marginally more likely to experience
clinical improvement than those receiving conventional care. We determined whether
these observations also apply to patients ≥ 65 years old in the EPI3 cohort.
Methods The EPI3-LASER study, conducted in France between March 2007 and July 2008, was a
nationwide, observational survey of the three most common reasons for primary care
consultation, including ADD, and the impact of the GPs' prescribing preferences: homeopathy
(GP-Ho), conventional medicines (GP-CM) or mixed prescriptions (GP-Mx). This sub-analysis
included 110 patients ≥ 65 years old with ADD from the EPI3 cohort who consulted either
a GP-CM or GP-Ho. Socio-demographic and medical data and details of any medications
prescribed were collected at inclusion. Information regarding the patients' functional
status (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale [HADS)]) was obtained via a telephone
interview 72 hours after inclusion, and at 1, 3 and 12 months post-inclusion. Medication
use and outcome were determined over the 12-month period. Differences between the
GP-CM and GP-Ho groups were assessed by multivariate logistic regression analysis.
Results One hundred and ten patients were recruited and 87 (79.1%) with ADD (HADS ≥ 9) at
the 72-hour interview were evaluated (age range: 65–93 years, 82.8% female). Patients
who consulted a GP-Ho were more likely (odds ratio [OR] = 10.38, 95% confidence interval
[CI]: 1.33–81.07) to have clinical improvement (HADS < 9) after 12 months than those
in the GP-CM group. Patients who consulted a GP-Ho reported less psychotropic drug
use (OR = 22.31 [95% CI: 2.20–226.31]) and benzodiazepine use (OR = 60.63 [95% CI:
5.75–639.5]) than GP-CM patients.
Conclusions Management of ADD patients aged ≥ 65 years by GP-Ho appears to have a real public
health interest in terms of effectiveness and lower psychotropic drug use.
Keywords anxiety - benzodiazepines - depression - patients ≥ 65 years - psychotropic drugs
- homeopathy
