London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

Pandemic-hit NHS wastes over £560mn yearly on ‘unnecessary’ & addictive pills with severe withdrawal symptoms – study

Pandemic-hit NHS wastes over £560mn yearly on ‘unnecessary’ & addictive pills with severe withdrawal symptoms – study

Despite the Covid pandemic, the NHS is reportedly wasting as much as £568 million yearly on habit-forming drugs like painkillers and sleeping pills that the majority of patients do not need, leading to dangerous addictions.

Doctors in England are unnecessarily pushing dependency-causing opioids, antidepressants and other pills, according to a new study by the Council for Evidence-based Psychiatry (CEP). Researchers found that three in four prescriptions were totally unnecessary in some cases.

The study, published on Tuesday in the journal Addictive Behaviours, revealed that, for many patients, their symptoms were not severe enough to warrant such medication. In other cases, safer options of treatment, such as counselling or less toxic drugs, were not fully explored while there were also instances of patients who were put on the pills for longer than required.

“Money is being wasted at a time when the health service is strapped for cash. The NHS is not taking this problem seriously and many doctors don’t appreciate the extent to which withdrawal from these medicines is a problem,” Dr James Davies, the study’s co-lead author, told the Daily Mail.


Between 2015 and 2018, the study estimated, there was a taxpayer bill of £1.7 billion for prescriptions for antidepressants, opioids, gabapentinoids, benzodiazepines and Z-drugs (sleeping pills). The total costs accounted for the price of the drugs, the average consultation cost (about £33) of seeing a General Practitioner (GP), and dispensing fees.

NHS figures reportedly show that nearly 17 million people a year in the country are getting a prescription for such drugs. The level of waste is so colossal that it could go towards paying the salaries of another 10,000 GPs or 20,000 nurses, according to the Daily Mail, which reported that the Department of Health and Social Care is yet to finalise plans to tackle the issue.

Nearly half the taxpayer money being wasted each year – to the tune of £288 million – goes towards highly addictive opioid painkillers followed by £158 million a year for gabapentinoids. But the researchers, from Roehampton University, Greenwich University and University College London, warn that it is likely the total amount lost is far higher than the “conservative” estimates in the study.

In addition, the study does not account for the significant costs related to harms caused by habit-forming drugs. These include higher disability payments and lost tax revenues, as well as workplace absenteeism and decreased productivity.

Besides the financial losses, unnecessary prescription also exacts a human cost: when people try to kick the habit, they suffer severe withdrawal symptoms, including stomach cramps, blurred vision and loss of appetite. For instance, studies on benzodiazepine usage reportedly show that 50% of those on the drugs for as little as four weeks suffer anxiety, dizziness, concentration problems, nightmares and weakness. That figure rises to 100% for people taking the medication for over six months.

Commenting on the study, Tory MP Danny Kruger, who chairs the All Party Parliamentary Group for Prescribed Drug Dependence, said that a “fraction of these wasted costs should now be invested in a helpline and dedicated withdrawal support services.”

In 2019, a Public Health England report revealed that “hundreds of thousands” of patients had become dependent on medicines and recommended face-to-face support, better training for doctors on the risks of drug dependency, and a 24-hour helpline on how to reduce medication.

While little action has occurred since, a Department of Health and Social Care spokesman told the Daily Mail that ministers are finally backing plans for a helpline and will be “working closely” with the NHS to implement the recommendations.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×