Alcohol dependency drug prescriptions up 12 per cent in a year

The number of drugs prescribed to treat alcohol addiction in England rose by 12 per cent in 2009, new figures reveal.

According to a report from the NHS Information Centre, a total of 150,445 prescription items were dispensed last year for two specific drugs that treat alcoholism, Acamprosate Calcium and Disulfiram.

This is 12 per cent greater than the number prescribed in 2008 and 46 per cent more than seen in 2003.

NHS Information Centre chief executive Tim Straughan said: "This report shows a year-on-year increase in prescriptions being dispensed to help people battle their dependency on alcohol.

"Prescribing information, together with the range of other information included in this report, gives a fuller picture of how people in England consume alcohol, how they view that consumption, and how this consequently affects their health."

The most popular of the two drugs, Acamprosate Calcium, helps restore the brain's chemical balance to reduce a patient's withdrawal symptoms from alcohol.

Disulfiram, on the other hand, causes a severely unpleasant reaction in the patient if they consume alcohol.

People who drink too much may be in greater need of health insurance, with illnesses related to alcoholism including liver disease, heart disease and stroke.

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