Addictive drug prescriptions fall by 12%
PRESCRIBING of the most addictive drugs by GPs in the Bailiwick has fallen by 12% during the last five years.
States prescribing advisor Geraldine O’Riordan announced the drop after Public Health England launched a review following a 3% rise during the same period in England.
Public Health England’s review will cover the use of sedatives and anti-anxiety drugs, opioid analgesics and gabapentin/pregabalin and antidepressants. Antidepressants are not addictive, but some people find it difficult to come off them.
In 2012, a total of 3,463 prescriptions were written for these types of drugs in the Bailiwick, with the figure falling to 3,045 in 2017.
Mrs O’Riordan said much work had taken place across primary and secondary care in Guernsey and Alderney in recent years to ensure the appropriate use of prescribed drugs.
‘This team effort has meant that, rather than seeing the increase in the prescription of addictive drugs locally, we have seen a decrease,' she said. 'This is in contrast to the trend seen in England.'
