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The NHS is wasting up to £568million a year on pills that patients do not need and can leave them with dangerous addictions, a study shows.
Doctors in England are dishing out habit-forming drugs such as opioids, antidepressants, benzodiazepines and sleeping pills to hundreds of thousands of people who should not be on them.
When they try to quit, many suffer severe withdrawal symptoms such as abdominal cramps, blurred vision and loss of appetite.
In some cases, three out of four prescriptions were found to be completely unnecessary, according to the Council for Evidence-based Psychiatry.
Roughly half the amount being needlessly spent each year – £288million – goes on highly addictive painkilling opioid medicines.
The amount wasted each year is