Antidepressants: Children
(asked on 9th February 2021) - View Source
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many anti-depressants have been dispensed to (1) people under 18 years old, and (2) primary school children in each of the past ten years; and what was the total cost to the NHS.
Information prior to 2015 is not held. The following tables show the number of antidepressant products that were prescribed to under 18 year olds and the subsequent subset of those aged 5 to 11 years old in England on a National Health Service prescription, dispensed in the community in England between April 2015, the earliest age-based data held, and November 2020, the latest data available. Information relating to items dispensed in secondary care is not collected centrally.
Number of antidepressant items prescribed and dispensed in the community in England to patients aged under 18 years old.
Calendar year | Number of prescription items |
2015 (Nine months from April) | 233,094 |
2016 | 329,954 |
2017 | 342,997 |
2018 | 361,436 |
2019 | 379,134 |
2020 (11 months up to November) | 358,835 |
Number of antidepressant items prescribed and dispensed in the community in England to patients aged 5 to 11 years old.
Calendar year | Number of prescription items |
2015 (Nine months from April) | 9,336 |
2016 | 12,988 |
2017 | 13,647 |
2018 | 14,274 |
2019 | 14,529 |
2020 (11 months up to November) | 14,187 |
The total cost of prescription items prescribed and dispensed in the community in England to patients aged under 18 years old, including patients in the 5 to 11 years old age group between April 2015 and November 2020 was £9,110,589.79.