Write a PREreview

Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the consumption of anxiolytics and antidepressants in a community pharmacy in Minas Gerais, Brazil

by Andressa Alves Guimarães, Douglas Cardoso Brandão, and Natália Filardi Tafuri

Posted: December 18, 2025
Server: SciELO Preprints
DOI: 10.1590/scielopreprints.14210

This study analyzed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the consumption of anxiolytics and antidepressants in a community pharmacy in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Controlled medication dispensing records were evaluate, comparing the pre-pandemic period (January 2019 to February 2020) and the pandemic period (March 2020 to December 2021). The results showed a significant increase in the dispensing of these drugs, especially fluoxetine and bromazepam, associated with changes in population behavior, in response to social isolation and fear of illness. The study highlights the role of community pharmacies as important spaces for observing and addressing mental health demands, and reinforces the need for public policies aimed at promoting post-pandemic mental health.

You can write a PREreview of Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the consumption of anxiolytics and antidepressants in a community pharmacy in Minas Gerais, Brazil. A PREreview is a review of a preprint and can vary from a few sentences to a lengthy report, similar to a journal-organized peer-review report.

Before you start

We will ask you to log in with your ORCID iD. If you don’t have an iD, you can create one.