Concerns over Mayo numbers being prescribed drugs for depression

The HSE Forum West is planning to invite a medical expert to address the forum in order to discuss the issue of the prescription of drugs for the treatment of depression and mental health matters.

The issue was raised by Councillor Declan Bree at the September meeting of the auhority.

He sought information on 'how many adults over 18 in each county possess a full medical card and how many of those medical card holders were prescribed antidepressants/anxiolytics or antipsychotics, in the last two years?'

He was informed that in Mayo, as at December 2019, there were 53,276 persons with medical cards and, of these, 9,449 received claims for anti-depressants for the year 2019.

For 2020, the respective figures were 54,242 and 9,757.

The data does not capture items dispensed where the prescription was paid for privately. Similar or higher figures were noted in other counties in the region.

Councilor Bree commented: "People taking pills to deal with life's ills, according to these figures, seems to be a huge issue.

“I feel it is something we should address in the future because the figures are fairly similar right across our regional health forum area and I assume the same applies in other health board areas.

“It is a national problem. Not only are the public creating the difficulty but it would appear the medical profession is too by continually prescribing these drugs."

He asked could a medical expert be called on to address the forum to look into the matter.

Saolta chief executive Tony Canavan said it would need discussion at committee level but they could look into someone with expertise coming in to address the forum on the matter.