Tips Pharmacists Can Use to Help Women Experiencing Depression

In 2023, rates of depression reached an all-time high in the United States. According to a poll from Gallup, 29% adults in the country reported having ever been diagnosed with depression—almost 10 percentage points higher than 2015.¹ Depression is also more prevalent in women compared to men, with women being twice as likely to have the condition.²

At the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists 2024 Midyear Clinical Meeting and Exhibition, held December 8 to 12 in New Orleans, Louisiana, Drug Topics sat down with Kathleen Vest, PharmD, BCACP, CDCES, FCCP, professor of Pharmacy Practice at Drake University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, to discuss symptoms of adverse effects associated with antidepressant therapies that pharmacists should be aware of and the most important things a pharmacist can do to help women who may be experiencing depression.

“Often, some depression symptoms can be overlooked,” Vest said. “Sometimes things like fatigue and general pains could be indicative of depression but they may be overlooked because they may look like other conditions…Looking for those types of symptoms and assessing how [a patient] is doing on their medications, assessing for adherence and really providing that education needed with managing these antidepressants [are important things pharmacists can do].”

References

1. Witters D. U.S. Depression Rates Reach New Highs. News Report. Gallup. May 17, 2023. Accessed December 11, 2024. https://news.gallup.com/poll/505745/depression-rates-reach-new-highs.aspx

2. Depression in women: Understanding the gender gap. Report. Mayo Clinic. January 29, 2019. Accessed December 11, 2024. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/depression/in-depth/depression/art-20047725