As pharmaceutical care progresses, pharmacists must continue to develop their qualitative and quantitative assessment skills. Quality of life (QoL) assessment represents an important part of the overall outcome evaluation in the management of depressed patients. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this prospective study was to document the QoL reported to community pharmacists by treated ambulatory depressed patients. METHODS: Pharmacists collected demographic, antidepressant, and SF-36 questionnaire data, and verified each patient s antidepressant treatment for at least three consecutive months. Most patients received their antidepressant drug as their only medication. RESULTS: Fifty-seven patients completed SF-36 questionnaires and demographic data forms under the supervision of their community pharmacists. Thirty-five patients were treated with SSRI s while 22 were treated with Non-SSRI s. Patients receiving Non-SSRI s were eight years older on average than those receiving SSRI s (p <0.05). Patients receiving SSRI s scored statistically higher on five SF-36 Scale scores, including physical functioning, role-physical, general health, vitality, and mental health. Physical component summary (PCS) scores were statistically higher for SSRI patients than Non-SSRI patients, with scores of 49.95 and 39.39, respectively (p <0.05). Mental component summary (MCS) scores were similar for SSRI patients and Non-SSRI patients, with scores of 45.02 and 42.48, respectively. CONCLUSION: Non-SSRI patients demonstrated a statistically poorer QoL in the PCS and related Scale scores, a finding which is consistent with their older mean age. These data support the avoidance of Non-SSRI therapy in older depressed patients. These data also compare favorably with the findings documented in medical care settings, demonstrating the utility of the SF-36 by community pharmacists in their usual practice settings.