Prescribed tranquiliser dependency

From April 2013, local authorities were given responsibility by Public Health England for providing drug and alcohol services.

This Freedom of Information (FOI) request relates only to those patients who have become addicted or dependent upon tranquilising medications prescribed by their doctors – they do not abuse these, or other substances, and were not previously dependent on these or other substances. This group is therefore distinct from illicit drug users.

Please provide the following information:

1. How many referrals have there been to drug and alcohol services in your local authority in the years 2021, 2022, 2023 for treatment for addiction to benzodiazepines, Z. drug tranquillisers, gabapentinoids and opioids prescribed by their GPs? Please break this down by year, gender and drug.
2. How many Involuntary Tranquilliser Addicts are currently in treatment provided by your local authority’s drug and alcohol services for addiction to benzodiazepine, Z. drug tranquillisers, gabapentinoids and opioids prescribed by their GPs? Please break this down by gender and drug.

The management of individuals addicted to prescribed medicines is managed within primary care and this work is led by the Medicines Optimisation Team at NHS Devon. Therefore, Devon County Council (DCC) do not hold the data requested.

However, DCC do hold information relating to the total number of adults accessing structured treatment on a rolling 12-month basis for the years requested. Please see this information in the table below.