The recent data released by the NHS England revealed that in 2022/23 nearly 86 million antidepressant items were prescribed to around 8.6 million identified
patients.
According to the statistic published on 'Medicines Used in Mental Health' of the 5 British National Formulary (BNF) sections, 4 had increases in items and identified
patients across 2022/23.
The only BNF section to decrease since 2021/22 was hypnotics and anxiolytics. Items fell by 2% to 14 million and identified patients fell by 2 per cent to 1.9 million
in 2022/23
The data also revealed that Prescribing of Central Nervous System (CNS) stimulants and drugs for ADHD increased by 32 per cent in adults over 18 and 12 per cent in
children 17 and under.
"2022/23 was the first time that more adult patients have been prescribed drugs from this section than child patients, in the time period covered by these
statistics," said the report.
Drug shortages have become a global issue, with many countries struggling to maintain a consistent supply of common medications, including antidepressants,
immunosuppressants and drugs to treat type 2 diabetes and ADHD.
Earlier last month, the British Generic Manufacturers Association (BGMA), the trade body for off-patent medicines, warned that 111 products were facing supply
problems, the highest on record in the UK, and more than double the number recorded at the start of 2022.
More than half of products affected (55) are branded generic drugs, which represent 10 per cent of prescription products used in the UK.
The trade body blamed the escalating rebate rate of the government's voluntary scheme for branded medicine pricing and access (VPAS) for these shortages, but
Brexit is also cited as another reason for the problem.
A BBC investigation has found 20 UK online pharmacies selling prescription-only medicines without adhering to the regulatory standards, such as checking
for GP approval or patient's medical records.
The news organisation was able to purchase over 1,600 restricted pills, including anti-anxiety drug, painkiller and sleeping medication, from these regulated
online pharmacies easily by providing false information.
However, the report didn't mention the names of the drugs as "they can be dangerous when taken without medical guidance."
Some pharmacies were also found selling high-risk and potentially addictive medicines, including benzodiazepines and antidepressants, based on online questionnaires
and did not require further checks.
The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC), which regulate online pharmacies in the UK, states that selling and supplying medicines at a distance brings
"different risks which need to be appropriately managed to protect patient safety."
From over-the-counter flu tablets to crucial antibiotics and antidepressants, medicines are running scarce in UK pharmacies this year, causing concerns among
patients, the government, and the wider pharma industry.
Drug shortages have accelerated over the past year due to a clutch of problems including the after-effects of the pandemic on supply chains, the war in Ukraine,
and soaring input costs weighing on manufacturers. More recently, a sudden spike in respiratory infections - another by-product of Covid-19 that neither pharma
companies nor the government were able to predict - has deepened the crisis, with 70 commonly taken drugs out of stock in Britain as of February.
The problem is not unique to the UK. In a recent survey of groups representing pharmacies in 29 European countries, three quarters said shortages were worse this
winter than a year ago, with a quarter reporting more than 600 drugs in short supply. The US is also facing significant shortages of popular prescription drugs like
amoxicillin and Adderall, an ADHD medication.
To some extent, the current disruption is laying bare wider challenges facing the industry for several years that were only exacerbated by the pandemic.
The over-reliance on foreign suppliers for most active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) is one of them. This model has left companies more susceptible to supply
shocks, which have in turn increased in frequency and severity due to pandemic lockdowns, the war in Ukraine and other issues such as the shortage of shipping
containers.
Pharma's long and opaque supply chains, alongside regulatory complexities, also mean it is taking longer for drugmakers to reconfigure manufacturing and distribution
in times of additional need.