Non-depressive health uses
The NMS requires the pharmacy record to include the condition(s) related to a new medicine.9
As most of the antidepressants in the NMS list are also indicated or can be used off label for conditions other than depression, it is important to (sensitively) enquire the patient’s understanding of why they have been prescribed the medicine. It may mean the antidepressant is unsuitable for the NMS intervention (see table).
|
NMS antidepressants
Additional licensed indications other than for depressive illness or noted off-label usage:11,13 |
citalopram |
escitalopram |
fluoxetine |
paroxetine |
sertraline |
duloxetine |
mirtazapine |
|
panic disorder with or without agoraphobia |
Y |
Y |
|
Y |
Y |
|
|
|
social anxiety disorder (social phobia) |
|
Y |
|
Y |
Y |
|
|
|
generalised anxiety disorder |
|
Y |
|
Y |
|
Y |
|
|
obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) |
|
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
|
|
|
bulimia nervosa |
|
|
Y |
|
|
|
|
|
pre-menstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) |
|
|
Y |
|
|
|
|
|
post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) |
|
|
|
Y |
Y |
|
|
|
diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain |
|
|
|
|
|
Y |
|
|
moderate/severe stress urinary incontinence (SUI) in women |
|
|
|
|
|
Y |
|
|
off-label: menopausal symptoms eg hot flushes with breast cancer except for those taking tamoxifen |
|
|
Y |
Y |
|
|
|
Antidepressants are also used for conditions such as migraine, chronic pain, or myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME).3