A new report from the Health & Social Care Information Centre points to high levels of prescription drug use, with half of women and 43 per cent of men currently taking prescribed medicines.

The comprehensive Health Survey for England identified cholesterol-lowering statins, pain relief medications and antidepressants as the most commonly prescribed, and found that over a fifth of men and almost a quarter of women are currently taking three prescriptions.

The HSCIC survey focuses on patients’ self reports rather than rates of GP prescriptions issued because as much as a half of these prescriptions are either not taken or not taken as recommended.

The researchers found that over a tenth of women are on antidepressants, with middle aged women and those from deprived backgrounds especially likely to be taking these drugs – 17 per cent of the poorest women compared to seven per cent of the richest.

Dr Jennifer Mindell, one of the report’s authors at University College London, said: “This is the first nationally-representative study to report on the use of prescribed medicines taken by people in the community, not just those within the healthcare system.

“That half of men over 65 are taking cholesterol-lowering medicines reflects the high risk of cardiovascular disease in this group.

“Stopping smoking, being a healthy weight, eating more vegetables and fruit, and being physically active reduce people’s risk of these diseases for people who want to avoid taking medicines.”