Prescription analysis and cost of antidepressant drugs in major depressive disorder outpatients at the tertiary care hospital of Pakistan: a prospective approach.

Objectives: To assess prescribing care indicators, utilization pattern, cost per prescription, cost ratios, and percent cost variation of antidepressants (ADs).

Method: A prospective cross-sectional study was carried out at the tertiary care hospital of Peshawar, Pakistan among major depressive disorder (MDD) outpatients from July 2019 to February 2020. The ideal standards for World Health Organization (WHO) prescribing care indicators were used.