NHS releases mental health medicines statistics for 2022/2023 in England

NHS releases mental health medicines statistics for 2022/2023 in England

The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) has released their annual data report showing mental health prescribing in England over the last 12 months.

Five groups of drugs are analysed in the report, including antidepressants; hypnotics and anxiolytics; antipsychotics; central nervous system (CNS) stimulants and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) drugs; and drugs for dementia.

The key findings of the report show:

• There were 86 million antidepressant items prescribed in 2022/23, to an estimated 8.6 million identified patients.

• Hypnotics and anxiolytics items and identified patients both decreased by 2%.

• Four of the five drug groups had higher prescribing in the most deprived areas.

• Of the five British National Formulary (BNF) sections covered in these statistics, four had increases in items and identified patients across 2022/23.

• The only BNF section to decrease since 2021/22 was hypnotics and anxiolytics. Items prescribed in this category fell by 2% to 14 million and identified patients fell by 2% to 1.9 million in 2022/23.

• Antidepressants remained the BNF section with the largest number of identified patients and items prescribed. In 2022/23, 86 million antidepressants were prescribed to an estimated 8.6 million identified patients. This was an increase of around 2%, or 200,000 more identified patients than 2021/22.

• Prescribing of CNS stimulants and drugs for ADHD increased by 32% in adults over 18 and 12% in children aged 17 and under. 2022/23 was the first time that more adult patients have been prescribed drugs from this section than child patients since 2015, when the Medicines Used in Mental Health records date back to.

• CNS stimulants and drugs for ADHD was the only BNF section with more identified patients who are male than identified patients who are female.

To see the statistical reports in full, visit: www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/statistical-collections/medicines-used-mental-health-england