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The purpose of this paper is to compare predictors of receipt of recommended first‐line pharmacotherapy in three generational cohorts of patients with new episode depression.

This retrospective database cohort study included adolescent, adult and senior Quebec Public Prescription Drug Insurance Plan beneficiaries with new episode depression, who were diagnosed by primary care physicians or psychiatrists (October 2000 to March 2001) and received pharmacotherapy. Receipt of recommended first‐line pharmacotherapy, based on the first psychoactive medication dispensed following the depression diagnosis, was defined according to Canadian guidelines.

Receipt of first‐line pharmacotherapy was documented in 52 percent, 71 percent and 50 percent of adolescents, adults and seniors, respectively. Among adolescents and seniors, diagnosis by a psychiatrist was associated with a lower likelihood of receipt of recommended pharmacotherapy. Adolescent females and senior males were more likely and adults with comorbidity were less likely to receive recommended pharmacotherapy. For all age groups, having a physician who both diagnosed the depression and prescribed the initial pharmacotherapy was associated with an increased likelihood of receiving recommended pharmacotherapy. Relational continuity of care influenced receipt of recommended first‐line pharmacotherapy. Gender differences in treatment were found in adolescents and seniors.

This paper identifies predictors of receipt of recommended first‐line pharmacotherapy in three generational cohorts of patients with new episode depression.

This report on the 1998 Computers in Manufacturing exhibition examines the 3D simulation software products on display. While hardly competing in volume with the popular ERP and MRP manufacturing control packages, the impact of simulation products is beginning to have a major impact not just on the planning but also on the control of whole factories. New products that were announced by four leading simulation product vendors are reviewed and this shows that the trend towards the digital factory is accelerating. As well as describing the specification of the new suites of software, examples are given of the benefits being achieved with existing simulation products in a UK car company and German shipyard.

A report of exhibits at the Robot and Automation Show held at the NEC, Birmingham at the time of the 25th ISR. It highlights some of the new developments and products on show, leading with the description of a novel robot tube bender being exhibited for the first time. New products range from a 350kg capacity robot developed by Kuka to a high speed SCARA robot from Epson aimed at PCB odd form component placement applications currently dominated by Cartesian robots. Exhibits of software products emphasised the move to low cost PC‐based systems aimed at small robot users and systems integrators without the resources of large IT departments, notably from Deneb and BYG Systems.