Implementation of a care manager organisation and its association with antidepressant medication patterns: a register-based study of primary care centres in Sweden

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the implementation of a care manager organisation for common mental disorders and its association with antidepressant medication patterns on primary care centre (PCC) level, compared with PCCs without this organisation. Moreover, to determine whether a care manager organisation is associated with antidepressant medication patterns that is more in accordance with treatment guidelines. DESIGN: Register-based study on PCC level. SETTING: Primary care in Region Västra Götaland, Sweden. PARTICIPANTS: All PCCs in the region. PCCs were analysed in three subgroups: PCCs with a care manager organisation during 2015 and 2016 (n=68), PCCs without the organisation (n=92) and PCCs that shifted to a care manager organisation during 2016 (n=42). OUTCOME MEASURES: Proportion of inadequate medication users, defined as number of patients >18 years with a common mental disorder diagnosis receiving care at a PCC in the region during the study period and dispensed 1–179 defined daily doses (DDD) of antidepressants of total patients with at least 1 DDD. The outcome was analysed through generalised linear regression and a linear mixed-effects model. RESULTS: Overall, all PCCs had about 30%–34% of inadequate medication users. PCCs with a care manager organisation had significantly lower proportion of inadequate medication users in 2016 compared with PCCs without (−6.4%, p=0.02). These differences were explained by higher proportions in privately run PCCs. PCCs that shifted to a care manager organisation had a significant decrease in inadequate medication users over time (p=0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Public PCCs had a more consistent antidepressant medication pattern compared with private PCCs that gained more by introducing a care manager organisation. It was possible to document a significant decrease in inadequate medication users, notwithstanding that PCCs in the region followed the guidelines to a comparatively high extent regardless of present care manager organisation.