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Complaints Over Allocation of Money as More than 1 Million Taking Antidepressants They Don't Need

on Tuesday, 11 April 2017.

Over one million people in the UK are unnecessarily taking medicines for antidepressants and sedatives, according to research from the University of Roehampton.

800,000 people are taking antidepressants and have been doing so for at least two years, despite being wrongly prescribed. Five million people in England take antidepressants each year, with one-third having no clinical reason, according to Dr James Davies, who led the study.

In addition, despite it being recommended that people stay on Valium and other tranquillisers for only one month at a time, one quarter of a million people have been left on it for six months or more.

Once on these medicines, it can be hard for people to come off them, with people then suffering debilitating side effects. Effectively, they have become addicted.

The Daily Mail has led a campaign to help people who are addicted to these drugs.

Others have waded into the debate. Debbie Abrahams MP, from the All Party Parliamentary Group for Prescribed Drug Dependence, said there was a real and urgent need for more help to be made available.

Meanwhile, Professor Jim McManus, director of public health at Hertfordshire County Council, said GPs' behaviour had to change, including not over-treating people or giving them treatments that would actually harm them.

According to Stephen Buckley from Mind the mental health charity, helping people to stop taking drugs must be prioritised.


For further information, please contact Paul Gershlick in our Pharmaceuticals & Life Sciences team on 01923 919 320.

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