Health Canada Warning on Citalopram and Escitalopram – Its Effects on Prescribing in Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry

Reports have suggested that citalopram and escitalopram may prolong the QTc interval, leading Health Canada to issue a warning to limit their dosages in 2012. Little is known about the effects of this warning and similar ones (e.g. by the Food and Drug Administration) on antidepressant prescribing in acutely medically-ill inpatients, who are theoretically at high risk of QTc prolongation. The main objective of our study is to examine the effect of the Health Canada warning on citalopram/escitalopram prescribing patterns in the consultation-liaison psychiatry setting.

Source: Psychosomatics - September 29, 2015 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: André Do, Saeid Noohi, Dominique Elie, Artin A. Mahdanian, Ching Yu, Marilyn Segal, Karl J. Looper, Soham Rej Source Type: research