NHS releases 2023/24 mental health medicines statistics for England

The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) has released its annual Medicines Used in Mental Health summary statistics, combined with the latest quarterly summary statistics for the final quarter of the 2023/24 financial year.

The data in the publication shows trends and patterns in prescribing and dispensing, with the annual summary covering the period between April 2015 and March 2024.

Five British National Formulary (BNF) sections are analysed in the report including antidepressants, hypnotics and anxiolytics, antipsychotics, central nervous system (CNS) stimulants and drugs for ADHD, and drugs for dementia.

2023/24 key findings show that:

• four out of five BNF sections covered in these statistics had increases in both items and identified patients. This was the same as for 2022/23.

• an estimated 89 million antidepressant drug items were prescribed, an increase of 3.3% since 2022/23. The antidepressants section also had the largest number of patients, an increase of 2.1% to 8.7 million compared to 2022/23.

• 2.9 million CNS stimulants and ADHD drug items were prescribed to 280,000 identified patients. Since 2022/23, prescribing of CNS stimulants and drugs for ADHD increased for both adults and children. Prescribing for adults rose by 28% to 150,000 patients, while prescribing for children rose 9.9% to 120,000 patients.

• dementia drug items increased by 5.8% to 4.5 million and the number of patients prescribed dementia medicines increased by 5.6% to 310,000. This is the only BNF section where prescribing was higher in the least deprived areas.

• 14 million hypnotics and anxiolytics items were prescribed to 1.9 million identified patients. More female patients were prescribed hypnotics and anxiolytics than male patients.

• 14 million antipsychotic items were prescribed to 860,000 identified patients. Twice as many identified patients were prescribed antipsychotics in in the most deprived areas versus the least deprived.

The data in the report covers medicines prescribed in England that are then dispensed in the community in England, Scotland, Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. The data excludes medicines used in hospitals, prisons or prescribed by private doctors. This release does not include armed forces data.

To see the annual statistical report in full go to: https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/statistical-collections/medicines-used-mental-health-england/medicines-used-mental-health-england-201516-202324

For all ‘Medicines Used in Mental Health’ reports visit: https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/statistical-collections/medicines-used-mental-health-england