- One in 20 people were prescribed opioid painkillers, such as codeine in 2015
- This is twice the amount handed out by doctors back in 2000
- Research by the Public Health Research Consortium found patients were twice as likely to be prescribed opioids rather than sedative drugs
Prescriptions of strong painkillers in England have doubled in 15 years, raising fears of addiction to medication.
One in 20 people were prescribed opioid painkillers, such as codeine and tramadol, in 2015 – twice the amount handed out in 2000.
Prescriptions also increased significantly as patients are being prescribed it for longer.
While the average course of addictive drugs – also called ‘dependence forming medicines’ – was 64 days in 2000, prescription lengths peaked at 102 days in 2014.
Research by the Public Health Research Consortium found patients were twice as likely to be prescribed opioids rather than sedative drugs such as benzodiazepines.
Researchers looked at 50,000 NHS patients across England. It is unclear how many patients are addicted to prescription painkillers.
Dependence forming medicines lose their effectiveness when taken for long periods. Patients are then more likely to ask for larger doses – risking side-effects such as memory loss, depression or withdrawal symptoms.
Older people were found to be more likely to be prescribed such medicines for more than 30 days.
Two-thirds of those prescribed the potentially addictive drugs were women. Patients living in the West Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber were more likely to be given the medication over a long period of time.
Neil Smith, of the National Centre for Social Research, told the BBC: ‘This highlights a balance needs to be struck between avoiding prescribing that might lead to dependence or other harms and ensuring proper access to medicines to relieve suffering and treat disorders.’
GPs warned patients not to stop using the drugs without talking to their doctor first.
