Half of adults are regularly taking prescription drugs
HALF of adults regularly take prescription drugs including antidepressants, statins, and blood pressure pills, a report has found.
A record 1.1 billion prescriptions were handed out last year, a rise of almost 50 per cent in the past decade.
The NHS’s Health Survey for England uncovered alarming rates of inactivity, heavy drinking, dieting and poor mental health, while one in seven adults take statins, a tenth are on antidepressants and one in seven are on pills to control blood pressure.
A quarter of adults admitted to watching four or more hours of TV on a weekday and a third aren’t taking enough exercise. Some 30 per cent of men were drinking more than the recommended limit of 14 units a week, or seven pints. And almost a fifth of adults – 19 per cent – had a ‘probable’ mental health condition – up from 15 per cent in 2012.
The survey is carried out every year to represent a snapshot of the population’s health and wellbeing. Experts said the latest findings, which involved 8,011 adults, were a ‘wake-up call’ and blamed high-pressured routines for making people unhealthy and miserable.
Doctors’ leaders were particularly worried about the high numbers on prescription drugs, warning that many were unnecessary.
The rise in prescriptions has been blamed on the ageing population and more people are succumbing to obesity-related illnesses. But there is also concern that patients are being ‘over-medicalised’ and issued a prescription when they would be better off changing their lifestyles.
Many doctors believe exercise and weight loss is just as good for lowering cholesterol levels, blood pressure and even treating depression.
A total of 48 per cent of those questioned in the survey said they had taken at least one prescription drug in the previous week, not including contraception or nicotine patches. Another 24 per cent had taken three or more prescription medicines that week and 10 per cent were on six or more. The most commonly used drugs were blood pressure pills, statins, heartburn remedies, painkillers and antidepressants.
Professor Carrie MacEwen, chairman of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, said: ‘These figures are really concerning. We have no way of knowing if these medicines are all really necessary, but we do know less is often more when it comes to some drugs. Lifestyle
‘An ageing population’
changes, such as taking up exercise, can be just as effective at treating some illnesses.’
Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard, chairman of the Royal College of GPs, said: ‘High prescription rates shouldn’t always be seen as a bad thing. More medications are now available and recommended for patients, and can increasingly be used to prevent illness and to improve their health. We also have a growing, ageing population so inevitably more patients are living with multiple, long- term conditions, many of which need medication.
‘Nevertheless, GPs do strive to explore non-pharmacological treatments, where appropriate, and we do encourage our patients to make lifestyle changes that can have a positive impact.’
The survey also found that 66 per cent of men and 57 per cent of women were overweight or obese. A total of 47 per cent of adults were trying to lose weight – regardless of their size. But 42 per cent of women and 34 per cent of men were failing to meet the NHS’s recommended exercise levels of 150 minutes a week.
Professor John Newton, director of health improvement at Public Health England, the Government agency for public health, said: ‘We know that good physical and mental health is key to living a longer and healthier life.
‘That’s why we run campaigns such as Change4Life and Stoptober, which have already helped millions of people to eat healthier, be more active, cut down on alcohol and quit smoking.’