An Irish Examiner investigation has found 330,000 public patients were prescribed those drugs that year at a cost of €40m to the State. The figure is likely to be closer to 500,000 when private patients are taken into account.
It also found substantial variations in prescribing rates and in the cost of drugs around the country.
In some counties, one in five public patients are prescribed anxiety and depression drugs compared to one in 10 in other regions. The figures are based on an analysis of the top five most frequently prescribed anti-depressants and anti-anxiety drugs under the General Medical Services (GMS) scheme in 2012.
The number of prescriptions written for all five drugs increased between 2011 and 2012, by up to 25% in the case of anti-depressant Sertraline.
In Limerick, 10% of the total population was prescribed anti-anxiety pills or anti-depressants, the highest percentage in the country. This figure jumps to 21% for those with medical cards
In South Tipperary, 9.9% of population are on anti-depressants, rising to 21.7% of those with medical cards.
In the Cork North Lee area, just under one-in-10 people are using these drugs, rising to one-in-five for those with medical cards.
Source: Catherine Shanahan, Irish Examiner, 19/03/15
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