Conclusions : International differences in prescriber behaviour may influence , and in turn be influenced by , the conduct of clinical trials .
Objective : International differences are thought to exist in dosages used by clinicians treating mood disorders .
This study examined international dosage differences in antidepressant clinical trials , using a data base formed and maintained as a component of a Cochrane review of comparative clinical trials of fluoxetine .
FLUOXETINE VERSUS AMITRIPTYLINE IN THE TREATMENT OF DEPRESSIVE ILLNESS.
The antidepressant efficacy and side effect profile of a fixed dose of 20 mg/day of fluoxetine , a specific serotonin reuptake inhibitor , were compared to those of amitriptyline .  Fifty-eight patients with DSM-III-R depression were r and omly assigned to receive either fluoxetine or amitriptyline .  Fifty-six patients ( fluoxetine N = 23 , amitriptyline N = 23 ) completed the 6 week study . Comparable antidepressant efficacy was demonstrated for the two drugs . Patients taking fluoxetine reported less side-effects than those taking amitriptyline
Conclusions : International differences in prescriber behaviour may influence , and in turn be influenced by , the conduct of clinical trials .
Objective : International differences are thought to exist in dosages used by clinicians treating mood disorders .
This study examined international dosage differences in antidepressant clinical trials , using a data base formed and maintained as a component of a Cochrane review of comparative clinical trials of fluoxetine .