London: Half the women in England are taking prescription drugs, with antidepressants and pain relief medication among the most common, a study has found. The comprehensive Health Survey for England, which provides a snapshot of the country’s health, found that 50 per cent of women and 43 per cent of men questioned had taken at least one medication in the previous week.
The study’s researchers said the ageing population and the growing problem of obesity were responsible for the high numbers. Poor diets, air pollution and smoking were also blamed for the prevalence of drugs for cholesterol, asthma and pulmonary conditions.
The cost to the NHS was found to be more than £15 billion (Dh86.5 billion) a year, representing more than 15 per cent of its total budget. Almost a quarter of women reported that they had taken at least three prescribed medicines in the previous week, a proportion that increased with age. Antidepressants were taken by twice as many women as men, with middle-aged women the most likely to be on the drugs. Sixteen per cent of women aged 45 to 64 reported taking them, the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) research found.
A total of 11 per cent of women were taking antidepressants, compared with 5.5 per cent of men, and more than 50 million prescriptions for the drugs were issued in 2013. The other most commonly prescribed drugs taken by both sexes included a range of medications for cardiovascular disease, which accounted for 30 per cent of the total. Analgesics for pain relief and proton pump inhibitors to reduce production of acid by the stomach were also among the most widely taken.
The most commonly prescribed single medicine in England in primary care during 2013 was simvastatin, a lipid-lowering medicine that was handed out 40 million times, followed by aspirin, prescribed 31 million times. Almost 50 per cent of over-65s were taking statins, usually because they had suffered a stroke or heart attack. This number is expected to rise following the introduction of new guidelines on the drug from the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence.
In July, the health watchdog cut the threshold for statin prescription in half, meaning most men over 60 and women over 65 will now be offered the drug. Dr Jennifer Mindell, a reader in public health at University College London, which collaborated with the HSCIC on part of the report, said: “Almost certainly the key drivers behind these findings are the ageing population and obesity.”
Dr Mindell said the figures should be taken in context as people were living longer and in better health than ever, which may be partly due to drugs used both for prevention and treatment of disease. GPs said “strict and robust monitoring systems” ensured patients only got drugs when absolutely necessary.
“We have an ageing population and more patients are presenting with complex and multiple conditions including mental health issues and this is reflected in today’s figures.’
— With inputs from Daily Mail
