Dependence and withdrawal associated with some prescribed medicines - an evidence review

Sep 2, 2026

Evidence review examining dependence and withdrawal risks linked to some prescribed medicines, commissioned through Public Health England. The review consolidates prescription data analysis with a rapid evidence assessment to clarify who may be affected and how dependence can develop over time. It highlights what patients should understand, stresses safe medicine use and not stopping treatment without guidance, and outlines actions for clinicians. Recommendations support healthcare decision-making and patient safety across the NHS and related services.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryGeneral

FormatDOCX

Pages152

Reading Time53 min

AccessFree to download

About Public Health England

Acknowledgements

List of figures

List of tables

Abbreviations and glossary of terms

What this report means for patients

More people are taking prescribed medicines for longer

Do not stop taking a prescribed medicine on your own

What your doctor should do

Executive summary

Introduction

Findings from the analysis of prescription data

Findings from the rapid evidence assessment

Recommendations

1. Introduction

The commission and where it came from

The scope of the PHE review

Dependence and withdrawal associated withsome prescribed medicines An evidence review About Public Health England Public Health England exists to protect and improve the nation’s health and wellbeing, and reduce health inequalities. We do this through world-leading science, research, knowledge and intelligence, advocacy, partnerships and the delivery of specialist public health services. We are an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care, and a distinct delivery organisation with operational autonomy. We provide government, local government, the NHS, Parliament, industry and the public with evidence-based professional, scientific and delivery expertise and support. Public Health EnglandWellington House 133-155 Waterloo RoadLondon SE1 8UGTel: 020 7654 8000 HYPERLINK "http://www.gov.uk/phe" www.gov.uk/phe Twitter: HYPERLINK "https://twitter.com/PHE_uk" @PHE_uk Facebook: HYPERLINK "http://www.facebook.com/PublicHealthEngland" www.facebook.com/PublicHealthEngland Authors: Stephen Taylor, Fizz Annand, Peter Burkinshaw, Felix Greaves, Michael Kelleher, Jonathan Knight, Clare Perkins, Anh Tran, Martin White, John Marsden Suggested citation: Taylor S, Annand F, Burkinshaw P, Greaves F, Kelleher M, Knight J, Perkins C, Tran A, White M, Marsden J. Dependence and withdrawal associated with some prescribed medicines: an evidence review. Public Health England, London. 2019. For queries relating to this document, please contact: HYPERLINK "mailto:pete.burkinshaw@phe.gov.uk" pete.burkinshaw@phe.gov.uk © Crown copyright 2019 You may re-use this information (excluding logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0. To view this licence, visit HYPERLINK "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/" OGL. Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned. Published September 2019 PHE publications PHE supports the UN gateway number: GW- 675 Sustainable Development Goals Acknowledgements Public Health England is very grateful to members of the review’s Expert Reference Group, who gave their time, expertise and experience to provide advice and support. Members of the ERG are listed in its HYPERLINK "http://www.gov.uk/government/publications/prescribed-medicines-review-expert-group-terms-of-reference/terms-of-reference-expert-reference-group-for-the-prescribed-medicines-review" \l "membership-and-representation" terms of reference. The chair of the ERG was PHE’s Emeritus Medical Director, Professor Paul Cosford, and vice chair was Rosanna O’Connor, Director, Alcohol, Drugs, Tobacco & Justice Division. Public Health England would like to thank the following organisations and their staff that contributed to the review through commissioned research or data, data analysis and quality assurance, or advice or drafting: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE): Paul Chrisp and Gareth Franklin NHS Business Services Authority: Nikki Dodds and Phil Godfrey The National Guideline Centre at the Royal College of Physicians: Serena Carville, Kate Ashmore, Agnes Cuyas, Nicole Downes, Lina Gulhane, Clare Jones, Eleanor Priestnall, Sharangini Rajesh, Eleanor Samarasekera and Maria Smyth, supported by the NGC document delivery team PHE’s National Cancer Registration and Analysis Service (NCRAS): Thomas Bacon, Gabrielle Emanuel, Katherine Henson, Alan MacDonald, Jem Rashbass and Brian Shand PHE North West Knowledge and Intelligence Team: Caryl Beynon PHE Health Intelligence Division: Georgina Anderson, Olivia Box Power and Sacha Wyke NatCen Social Research (for the Public Health Research Consortium): Sally McManus, Rukmen Sehmi and Neil Smith Dr Caroline Watson PHE would also like to thank the peer reviewers of the rapid evidence assessment and the full report, who must remain anonymous for the purpose of impartiality, and

FAQs

What is the focus of this evidence review?

The review focuses on dependence and withdrawal associated with some prescribed medicines, combining prescription data analysis and rapid evidence assessment.

Why does the report stress not stopping prescribed medicines on your own?

Stopping a prescribed medicine without guidance can increase risks related to dependence and withdrawal, so patients are advised to follow clinician advice.

What does the report recommend for doctors and patients?

The report outlines what healthcare professionals should do and provides patient-facing messages about safe use, including discussing treatment decisions rather than making changes independently.

Sep 2, 2026

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