The number of prescriptions for antidepressants is at a record high after doubling in the last decade
Doctors and pharmacists gave out 71million last year, said NHS Digital.
The figure has risen each year since the 36million in 2008, despite NHS bosses insisting they want to end the culture of “a pill for every ill”. It was 67.5million in 2017.
The region giving most in 2018 was Devon. It was followed by Cambridgeshire.
Royal College of Psychiatrists president Prof Wendy Burn said: “For many people, antidepressants can be life-saving but they should not be the ‘go-to’ for first instances of mild depression.
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“We need to ensure there is investment in alternative treatments and more research on helping all patients suffering a mental illness.”
NHS England said: “Antidepressants do play an important role. But with an attitude of ‘a pill for every ill’, some people take medicine they don’t need and taxpayer funding is spent on avoidable prescriptions.
“It’s why the NHS is rolling out alternatives to medication, such as giving care and advice tailored to people’s conditions.”
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The NHS Digital report also reveals a scale-back in a host of common prescriptions. Among these are aids to stop smoking – a cut the British Lung Foundation branded “shocking”.
The figures include all NHS-issued items in England, except for those at hospitals or on private prescriptions.
