Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 2 December 2004
115 Mr. Cuffe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the latest figures for the number of anti-depressants prescribed in the Dublin area; the reason for the increase in the amount of drugs prescribed; the steps she is taking to ensure that fewer are prescribed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31711/04]
View answerPrescriptions for anti-depressants may be issued by general practitioners or consultants in a variety of locations, such as general practice, community psychiatric facilities or private or public psychiatric hospitals. Prescriptions are issued by health professionals based on the symptoms of the presenting patient at the time of consultation. The level of medication prescribed, therefore, is a matter of clinical decision for the particular doctor involved.
Figures provided by the General Medical Services (Payments) Board for January to August 2004, the latest month for which figures are available, indicate that there were 166,386 claims for anti-depressants in the Dublin area, at a cost of €4,880,882. These figures do not include certain categories of patients in the Eastern Regional Health Authority area for whom separate arrangements are in place. I have asked the Eastern Regional Health Authority to forward the additional information directly to the Deputy as a matter of urgency. My Department does not have access to prescribing and dispensing information where monthly expenditure by an individual under the drugs payment scheme, DPS, is less than the monthly threshold.
An expert group on mental health policy was established in August 2003 to prepare a new national policy framework for the mental health services, updating the 1984 policy document, Planning for the Future. The group consists of 18 widely experienced people who are serving in their personal capacity. The membership encompasses a wide range of knowledge and a balance of views on many issues affecting the performance and delivery of care in our mental health services. All areas of mental health policy and service provision will be examined in the course of the group's work. The expert group has now completed an extensive public consultation process on the mental health services and is planning to publish the findings of this process shortly. It is expected to complete its work in 2005.
