OBJECTIVES: In the treatment of depression several antidepressants are applied, mainly TZA, SSRI and SNRI. These substances have a different spectrum of activity and side effects, particularly newer substances are often approved for specific indications. Taking SNRI as an example, it is of interest in how far the indication spectrum is therapeutically utilized by physicians in everyday practice. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study using claims data of a sickness fund, analysed beneficiaries who received at least one SNRI prescription during the observation period from January 1, 2004 until December 31, 2004. ICD-10 Codes from the field of depression, anxiety and panic patients, as well as affective disorders were clustered into diagnosis groups which represented potential fields of indication for SNRI therapy. The distribution of diagnoses groups over the indication spectrum was broken down into health care sectors and represented and analyzed with the help of Venn diagrams. RESULTS: From 1,478,978 beneficiaries n=2,481 (0.17%) had at least one prescription of Venlafaxin as the only available SNRI in 2004. A total of 75.7% of them had a depression diagnoses, 39.9% received SSRI for relapse prevention. From n=2,252 beneficiaries with a depression diagnosis and SNRI prescriptions, A total of 22.8% have been treated due to indications (depression in combination with anxiety) for which only Venlafaxin has been approved. 39.7% have been treated due to an indication (maintenance therapy and relapse prevention of depressive disorders) for which besides Venlafaxin only Sertralin was approved. CONCLUSIONS: One out of four depressive patients treated currently with Venlafaxine could not be treated with SSRIs due to the specific pharmacological profile. Maintaining the full spectrum of pharmacotherapy, in this example Venlafaxine for treating depression, will enable physicians treating patients as adequate as possible to the individual patient's condition.