SSRI use increases HMO drug spending 21% but cuts overall treatment costs by 18% -- Express Scripts data.
Executive Summary
SSRI TREATMENTS INCREASE DRUG EXPENDITURES 21%, CUT OVERALL COSTS for treatment of nonpsychotic depression by 18% in a comparison of 1993-1994 and 1994-1995 data from a large midwestern HMO. The analysis of average spending in the two periods was conducted by the St. Louis-based pharmacy benefit manager Express Scripts for one of its HMO clients.