Surging trends in prescriptions and costs of antidepressants in England amid COVID-19

Abstract

The social restrictions amid coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic have posed a serious threat to mental health and have implications in the use of medications for mental health including antidepressants (ADs). This study investigated the trends in prescriptions and costs of various ADs in England during COVID-19 pandemic. National prescribing rates and net ingredient costs (NIC) of all ADs prescriptions during 2016 to 2020 were analyed. The total number of ADs prescriptions dispensed during COVID-19 pandemic (January to December 2020) were 78 million, 4 million more than in 2019 that costed NHS England £ 139 million more than in 2019. Sertraline, an SSRI antidepressant drug, alone accounted for an extra £113 million during 2020 than in 2019. The peak dispensing for ADs was observed in March 2020 while the total costs for AD drugs peaked in April 2020. The rising prescription costs for ADs during COVID-19 pandemic is a potential cause of concern, in particular the increasing use in adolescents and younger adults needs attention, who are at a higher risk of life-threatening adverse drug reactions.

Neutralizing Antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, Anti-Ad5 Antibodies, and Reactogenicity in Response to Ad5-nCoV (CanSino Biologics) Vaccine in Individuals with and without Prior SARS-CoV-2

“…The analysis of the pharmacological treatment showed a higher antidepressant consumption in the group without prior COVID-19. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increase in the incidence of depression, so the use of antidepressants has increased, and this has been surprisingly linked to protection against SARS-CoV-2 [ 22 , 23 ]. The mechanism of this association is unclear, but it could be suspected that some antidepressants functionally inhibit acid sphingomyelinase activity (ASM), and in cell culture models, inhibition of ASM prevents the infection of cells with SARS-CoV-2 [ 24 ].…”

“…Previous studies that used antidepressants drugs as preventive treatments [ 22 , 25 , 26 ] have not reported similar results to us. We consider this topic interesting due to increase of mental illness associated with the COVID-19 pandemic [ 23 ].…”

Bupropion-Associated Delayed Onset Urticaria

“…Additionally, population-based studies in various countries have demonstrated a significant increase in the incidence of mood disorders, prescriptions for antidepressants, and suicide ideation and attempts since the initiation of lockdowns and restrictions. With the surging rate of antidepressant prescriptions, it can be anticipated that there will also be an increase in observed common and uncommon adverse reactions associated with these medications, highlighting the need for continued reporting of rare adverse reactions [1,2].…”

Leveraging Health Risk Assessment Data to Describe Changes in Health Behaviors Associated With the COVID-19 Global Pandemic

“…There has been a significant increase in pharmacotherapy treatment for anxiety and depression during the pandemic, with numerous jurisdictions indicating that anxiolytic and antidepressant use is at an all-time high. 16 With restrictions on social gatherings, feelings of isolation and helplessness are very common which negatively impact mental health, similarly, personal relationships are increasingly under strain during the pandemic. 17 Difficulty sleeping is a key indicator of anxiety and stress, among other factors.…”