Analysis of the Consumption of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIS) and Tricyclic Antidepressants (TCA), before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic, in Community Pharmacies in Brazil

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we live. It brought several effects to the lives of society as a whole and showed us an increase in the use of antidepressant medications.

Objective: To evaluate the consumption of antidepressants in the period from 2015 to 2020 and the estimate for 2021 to 2025; as well as possible animated between consumption and the socioeconomic and demographic conditions of the different Brazilian regions.

Methodology: The research was developed in three stages. 1st stage: search for data in the National Controlled Products Management System (SNGPC). 2nd stage: research on the platform of the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics, IBGE for the collection of sociodemographic data and variables of interest. 3rd stage: descriptive statistical analysis, comparison of consumption rates and correlations to verify the association between numerical variables. Medians and interquartile ranges were left (median [Q1; Q3]) and the Kruskal-Wallis and Spearman non-parametric test was performed (ρ using the R 4.0.2 software (R Core Team, 2020).

Results: If the increase in the consumption of antidepressant medications in the period from 2015 to 2021, and it is controlled that, in the year 2020, at the beginning of the pandemic by Covid-19, this increase of 15%, compared to the year 2019. However, the estimate from 2021 to 2022 is that there will be an increase of only 3% pre and pandemic caused by COVID-19 in Brazil Sociodemographic variables have a significant influence on the consumption of antidepressants.

Conclusion: An observation from the analytical side found that, in this study, the increased consumption of antidepressants in Brazil during the pre- and pandemic period caused by COVID-19. The study shows the relationship between socioeconomic and demographic conditions.