England - October to December 2024
Published 6 March 2025
Summary
Between October and December 2024:
There were 3.5 million antipsychotic items prescribed to an estimated 664,000 identified patients.
The cost of prescribed antipsychotic items was £45 million.
1. Things you should know
These drugs are used to treat psychoses and related disorders, and are referred to under the umbrella term antipsychotics. These drugs are classified and described under the BNF 68 section 4.2:
- BNF paragraph 4.2.1 - Antipsychotic drugs
- BNF paragraph 4.2.2 - Antipsychotic depot injections
- BNF paragraph 4.2.3 - Drugs for mania and hypomania
1.1. Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders
People experiencing psychoses may report hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that other people cannot see or hear) or delusional beliefs (believing things that are not actually true), and may exhibit personality changes and thought disorder. As well as this, they may experience difficulties with social interaction and impairment in carrying out daily life activities.
You can find more information about psychoses and related disorders on the NHS website.
2. Results - Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders
Number of prescribed items and identified patients by financial quarter - BNF 4.2: Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders
Chart
Figure 1: Antipsychotic items and identified patients increased in Q3 2024/25
Table
Table 1: Antipsychotic items and identified patients increased in Q3 2024/25
| Financial quarter | BNF section name | Total prescribed items | Identified patients |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019/2020 Q4 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 3,177,598 | 614,776 |
| 2020/2021 Q1 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 3,247,389 | 631,117 |
| 2020/2021 Q2 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 3,210,215 | 619,583 |
| 2020/2021 Q3 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 3,318,762 | 633,407 |
| 2020/2021 Q4 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 3,240,976 | 636,869 |
| 2021/2022 Q1 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 3,270,660 | 631,196 |
| 2021/2022 Q2 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 3,308,719 | 635,639 |
| 2021/2022 Q3 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 3,340,091 | 640,773 |
| 2021/2022 Q4 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 3,288,483 | 641,750 |
| 2022/2023 Q1 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 3,318,395 | 638,148 |
| 2022/2023 Q2 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 3,328,319 | 637,851 |
| 2022/2023 Q3 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 3,378,002 | 646,987 |
| 2022/2023 Q4 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 3,354,544 | 650,675 |
| 2023/2024 Q1 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 3,343,765 | 646,318 |
| 2023/2024 Q2 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 3,388,112 | 649,457 |
| 2023/2024 Q3 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 3,430,522 | 656,267 |
| 2023/2024 Q4 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 3,405,659 | 658,679 |
| 2024/2025 Q1 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 3,434,858 | 656,513 |
| 2024/2025 Q2 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 3,507,699 | 656,969 |
| 2024/2025 Q3 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 3,525,555 | 664,101 |
3.5 million antipsychotic items prescribed in Q3 2024/25.
664,000 identified patients received an antipsychotic item in Q3 2024/25.
Antipsychotics items and identified patients both show a long-term upwards trend.
Cost of prescribing by financial quarter - BNF 4.2: Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders
Chart
Figure 2: Antipsychotic costs decreased in Q3 2024/25
Table
Table 2: Antipsychotic costs decreased in Q3 2024/25
| Financial quarter | BNF section name | Cost (GBP) |
|---|---|---|
| 2019/2020 Q4 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 29,652,855 |
| 2020/2021 Q1 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 30,297,947 |
| 2020/2021 Q2 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 30,271,237 |
| 2020/2021 Q3 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 31,865,848 |
| 2020/2021 Q4 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 31,455,924 |
| 2021/2022 Q1 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 32,135,667 |
| 2021/2022 Q2 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 31,575,149 |
| 2021/2022 Q3 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 31,363,097 |
| 2021/2022 Q4 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 30,271,937 |
| 2022/2023 Q1 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 30,444,039 |
| 2022/2023 Q2 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 41,898,515 |
| 2022/2023 Q3 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 47,517,842 |
| 2022/2023 Q4 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 42,162,107 |
| 2023/2024 Q1 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 40,960,085 |
| 2023/2024 Q2 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 39,200,316 |
| 2023/2024 Q3 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 38,863,888 |
| 2023/2024 Q4 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 38,885,772 |
| 2024/2025 Q1 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 41,302,555 |
| 2024/2025 Q2 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 48,444,157 |
| 2024/2025 Q3 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 45,271,983 |
The cost of prescribed antipsychotic items was £45 million in Q3 2024/25.
Since the previous quarter, the cost of antipsychotic prescribing has decreased by 6.5%.
Number of prescribed items and identified patients by month - BNF 4.2: Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders
Chart
Figure 3: Antipsychotic items and identified patients increased in the past twelve months
Table
Table 3: Antipsychotic items and identified patients increased in the past twelve months
| Month | BNF section name | Total prescribed items | Identified patients |
|---|---|---|---|
| 202001 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 1,099,172 | 476,672 |
| 202002 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 998,134 | 455,140 |
| 202003 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 1,080,292 | 477,079 |
| 202004 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 1,119,806 | 482,744 |
| 202005 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 1,051,373 | 474,348 |
| 202006 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 1,076,210 | 478,011 |
| 202007 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 1,114,813 | 488,597 |
| 202008 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 1,015,162 | 468,108 |
| 202009 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 1,080,240 | 482,950 |
| 202010 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 1,108,488 | 491,744 |
| 202011 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 1,065,334 | 485,396 |
| 202012 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 1,144,940 | 498,098 |
| 202101 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 1,080,818 | 494,565 |
| 202102 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 1,021,175 | 479,057 |
| 202103 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 1,138,983 | 498,843 |
| 202104 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 1,102,639 | 493,839 |
| 202105 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 1,052,393 | 485,563 |
| 202106 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 1,115,628 | 497,104 |
| 202107 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 1,122,993 | 498,041 |
| 202108 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 1,073,392 | 486,007 |
| 202109 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 1,112,334 | 495,661 |
| 202110 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 1,072,449 | 487,175 |
| 202111 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 1,109,681 | 495,220 |
| 202112 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 1,157,961 | 502,646 |
| 202201 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 1,103,395 | 496,884 |
| 202202 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 1,030,418 | 480,554 |
| 202203 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 1,154,670 | 505,784 |
| 202204 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 1,089,410 | 488,497 |
| 202205 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 1,128,642 | 496,713 |
| 202206 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 1,100,343 | 491,379 |
| 202207 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 1,092,243 | 488,732 |
| 202208 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 1,123,255 | 489,162 |
| 202209 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 1,112,821 | 489,758 |
| 202210 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 1,113,909 | 493,962 |
| 202211 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 1,132,582 | 499,579 |
| 202212 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 1,131,511 | 497,251 |
| 202301 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 1,133,694 | 503,098 |
| 202302 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 1,040,476 | 482,332 |
| 202303 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 1,180,374 | 510,998 |
| 202304 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 1,060,326 | 484,861 |
| 202305 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 1,132,816 | 500,839 |
| 202306 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 1,150,623 | 505,457 |
| 202307 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 1,119,330 | 500,918 |
| 202308 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 1,148,983 | 503,112 |
| 202309 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 1,119,799 | 501,534 |
| 202310 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 1,141,109 | 505,436 |
| 202311 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 1,151,114 | 508,249 |
| 202312 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 1,138,299 | 505,159 |
| 202401 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 1,177,042 | 516,281 |
| 202402 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 1,107,422 | 500,410 |
| 202403 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 1,121,195 | 502,177 |
| 202404 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 1,153,753 | 509,100 |
| 202405 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 1,175,193 | 509,335 |
| 202406 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 1,105,912 | 495,778 |
| 202407 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 1,213,884 | 516,492 |
| 202408 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 1,161,496 | 507,152 |
| 202409 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 1,132,319 | 506,555 |
| 202410 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 1,200,346 | 519,690 |
| 202411 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 1,145,747 | 511,244 |
| 202412 | Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders | 1,179,462 | 514,646 |
Over the 12 months to December, an average of 509,000 patients per month received prescribing for antipsychotic items.
The total antipsychotic items in the 12 months to December increased by 2.6%, compared to the previous 12 month period.
3. Sections in this release
- Medicines used in Mental Health summary
- BNF Section 4.3 - Antidepressant drugs
- BNF Section 4.1 - Hypnotics and anxiolytics
- BNF Section 4.4 - Central nervous system (CNS) stimulants and drugs used for ADHD
- BNF Section 4.11 - Drugs for dementia
- Prescribing during the COVID-19 pandemic
- Medicines used in Mental Health background