title: Trends in prescriptions and costs of drugs for mental disorders in England, 1998-2010.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Increasing rates of prescriptions for antidepressants, antipsychotics and stimulants have been reported from various countries.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine trends in prescriptions and the costs of all classes of psychiatric medication in England.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data from the Prescription Cost Analysis 1998-2010 was examined, using linear regression analysis to examine trends.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Prescriptions of drugs used for mental disorders increased by 6.8% (95% CI 6.3-7.4) per year on average, in line with other drugs, but made up an increasing proportion of all prescription drug costs (P = 0.001). There were rising trends in prescriptions of all classes of psychiatric drugs, except anxiolytics and hypnotics (which did not change). Antidepressant prescriptions increased by 10% (95% CI 9.0-11) per year on average, and antipsychotics by 5.1% (95% CI 4.3-5.9). Antipsychotics overtook antidepressants as the most costly class of psychiatric medication, with costs rising 22% (95% CI 17-27) per year.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Rising prescriptions may be partly explained by longer-term treatment and increasing population. Nevertheless, it appears that psychiatric drugs make an increasing contribution to total prescription drug costs, with antipsychotics becoming the most costly. Low-dose prescribing of some antipsychotics is consistent with other evidence that their use may not be restricted to those with severe mental illness.
authors.affiliation: General Adult Psychiatry, Tower Hamlets Centre for Mental Health, East London NHS Foundation Trust, London.
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ilyas
authors.forename: Joanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Moncrieff
mesh_terms: D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016527:Drug Costs; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004739:England; D006801:Humans; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy*; D055553:Prescription Drugs / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D055553:Prescription Drugs