The number of prescriptions of antidepressants has almost doubled in the last decade to 70.9 million items last year, according to data from NHS Digital. The figures show that prescriptions for depression and anxiety increased by almost 3.5 million in just a year from 2017.
Figures from Scotland show a similar trend with 6.6 million items dispensed in 2017-18 compared with 3.8 items in 2007-08, an increase of 74%.
Writing in The Guardian, Professor John Read, a clinical psychologist, said: ‘We know that 16% of adults receive one or more prescriptions [for antidepressants] annually – that is one in six of us. It’s even higher for women and in deprived areas.’ He questioned what level of prescribing would be recognised as inappropriate. ‘One in four? One in three? Seven out of ten?’
But RCGP chair Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard said: ‘It’s really important that increasing numbers of antidepressant prescriptions are not automatically seen as a bad thing, as research has shown they can be very effective drugs when used appropriately.
‘It can be difficult to determine why prescribing rates fluctuate, these figures could indicate rising awareness of mental health conditions in society, and that more patients are feeling able to seek medical care for them – as well as demonstrating an improvement in the identification and diagnosis of mental health conditions.
‘Regardless of the reasons why someone might seek treatment for mental health conditions, [prescribers] will take into account the physical, psychological and social factors potentially impacting on their health, as well as clinical guidelines, when formulating a diagnosis and treatment plan.
‘No doctor wants their patients to be reliant on medication – and most patients don’t want this, either – so where possible we will consider alternative treatments, such as CBT and talking therapies, but unfortunately access to these important services in the community is patchy across the country.
‘NHS England’s GP Forward View, which fed into the NHS long-term plan, pledged for every GP practice to have access to one of 3,000 new mental health therapists. We need this, as well as other promises made in the NHS Long-Term Plan, to be delivered as a matter of urgency, so that we can continue to provide the best possible mental health care to our patients.’
The total number of prescriptions dispensed increased only slightly, by 0.3% from 1.1 billion in 2017-18. Since 2017, items that are readily available over the counter, such as paracetamol, and cough and cold remedies are no longer routinely prescribed.
