I had a huge breakdown during the pandemic, so it was trial and error with a few medications until I was put on [antidepressant] Venlafaxine,’ says Amy from London. ‘The pandemic negatively impacted my mental health, especially with isolation from friends and family and stress at work.’
Amy is just one of thousands of people who required medication for the stresses of the past two years. Accessing treatment has been crucial; life saving for many. And yet, as restrictions are finally lifted and ‘normality’ is returning, the issue of prescription drugs is a difficult one to untangle. Demand for medication of all kinds, not just antidepressants but anti-anxiety drugs such as benzodiazepines and opioid painkillers including oxycodone, has dovetailed. Partly due to GPs having few other treatment options during the lockdowns, and seemingly also owing to a culture of fast pharmaceutical solutions — prescription numbers for medications have been rising for years. Now usage is everywhere in London, both medically and, thanks to opportunistic new ‘suppliers’, recreationally, and the question is: are things out of control?
