Because of limitations in diagnosis coding, it is difficult to determine which 
products are used to treat premenstrual dysphoric disorder. To better understand 
treatment of premenstrual dysphoric disorder, we examined the antidepressant 
prescribing behavior of obstetrician/gynecologists as a marker for premenstrual 
dysphoric disorder treatment and compare these use patterns to psychiatrists and 
primary care physicians. Over the past quarter, only three percent of 
antidepressants were prescribed by obstetrician/gynecologists as compared to 51 
percent by primary care physicians and 20 percent by psychiatrists. 
Obstetrician/ gynecologists more frequently use selective serotonin reuptake 
inhibitors (69% compared to 58% in primary care and 48% in psychiatry) and are 
more likely to choose an selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors agent indicated 
for the treatment of premenstrual dysphoric disorder (e.g., fluoxetine, 
paroxetine, sertraline): 66 percent versus 59 percent for both primary care 
physicians and psychiatrists. Use of desvenlafaxine was slightly elevated in 
obstetrician/ gynecologists as compared to primary care physicians (0.3% vs. 
0.1% of total antidepressants, respectively); however, psychiatrists prescribed 
more desvenlafaxine than either group: 0.4 percent of total antidepressant 
prescriptions. Discussion of this data is provided.