28 March 2019
Rising Prescription Numbers Not 'Automatically a Bad Thing', Says RCGP
Responding to new prescription data published by NHS Digital today, Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard, Chair of the Royal College of GPs, said:
"Prescribing is a core skill for GPs, and we will only prescribe medication to a patient after a full and frank discussion with them, considering their unique circumstances, and if we genuinely believe they will be of benefit to their patient.
"Antidepressants are no different, and 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, GPs 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."
Further Information
RCGP Press office: 020 3188 7633/7574/7575
Out of hours: 0203 188 7659
press@rcgp.org.uk
Notes
The Royal College of General Practitioners is a network of more than 52,000 family doctors working to improve care for patients. We work to encourage and maintain the highest standards of general medical practice and act as the voice of GPs on education, training, research and clinical standards.