31million precriptions for antidepressants issued in 2006

On 14 May 2007, the BBC reported that, in 2006, MORE THAN 31 MILLION PRESCRIPTIONS FOR ANTIDEPRESSANT DRUGS WERE ISSUED IN ENGLAND ALONE.

This was 6 per cent up on the year before. The rise in such prescriptions occurred despite the 2004 guidance from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence recommending that antidepressants should not be used as first-line therapy for mild to moderate depression. In 2003, it was decided that Prozac-type drugs should not be given to teenagers after experts' concluded they were linked to suicidal thoughts and self-harm. Nevertheless, prescriptions for SSRIs (Prozac etc.) rose by 10 per cent in 2006, from 14.7 million to 16.2 million.

Despite the categoric evidence of over-prescription, Professor Mayur Lakhani, Chairman of the Royal College of GPs, said:

"We reject the suggestion that GPs prescribe antidepressants too readily."

Why, oh why, I wonder, do those for whom the 31 million drugs are prescribed, keep on voting for the politicians who made them this miserable?