General Practitioner & Pharmacist Support for Discontinuing Long-term Antidepressants in Clinically Stable Patients

In Belgium, many adults who have suffered from depression keep using antidepressants on a daily basis for years afterwards, sometimes longer than guidelines recommend. Yet for some people who have been feeling well for a long time, this is no longer necessary, while the continued use of antidepressants can lead to side effects and causes additional costs for the healthcare system.

However, reducing the doses of antidepressants or stopping altogether is not always easy. Some patients are afraid that their depression will return, and GPs and pharmacists often find the subject difficult to broach.

This is why the GPS-AD study is investigating a new approach in which GPs and pharmacists work more closely together to provide better support to patients. First, the GP invites patients who have been taking antidepressants for a long time for a consultation. Together, they discuss whether tapering of the medication is reasonable and feasible. If they agree to stop the treatment, the GP draws up a tapering plan tailored to the patient. The pharmacist helps monitor this process, offering advice and support to the patient while the doses are gradually reduced.

The study will extend over a period of two years and will take place in GP practices throughout Belgium. The new approach based on closer collaboration between GPs and pharmacists will be compared to the current standard of care, to determine whether it helps more long-term users to stop taking antidepressants without experiencing a recurrence of depressive symptoms.

The name of the study, GPS-AD (General Practitioner and Pharmacist Support for Antidepressant Discontinuation), refers to the collaboration between GPs and pharmacists in tapering of antidepressants, and also symbolises the support and guidance (the 'GPS') provided to patients and healthcare providers in assessing whether long-term use of antidepressants is still necessary.