General Article Millions of people in England taking medicines they can find hard to stop

Topic Selected: Drugs Book Volume: 373
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NHS must take action to avoid US-style opioid crisis, says co-author of government study.

By Sarah Bosley, Health editor

Nearly 12 million people – about one in four adults in England – are taking medicines for pain, depression or insomnia, which they can find hard to stop, according to a government review.

Too many people are being prescribed medicines that can cause dependence, says Public Health England (PHE). Half have been on these medicines for a year or more and more than a fifth for over three years. Prescribing rates are 1.5 times higher for women than for men.

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