Health experts issue serious warning over a common medication Propranolol linked to 12 deaths and 300 overdoses
Experts have warned about the effects of a medication commonly used to treat anxiety after a high number of deaths and overdoses.
Three bodies, the Royal College of Pharmacy (RCPharm), the Royal College of Physicians (RCP), and the National Poisons Information Service (NPIS), have all expressed concerns about the medication, suggesting that it be placed under review.
Propranolol is commonly prescribed for high blood pressure, migraines, as well as anxiety, and can help to relieve some of the physical symptoms of anxiety such as shaking or sweating.
All three groups wrote to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) expressing concern about prescribing propranolol for anxiety after noting a number of deaths and overdoses, The Sun reports.
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Kate Ryan is the joint chair of the RCP/RCPharm Medicines Safety joint working group, and said: “We are concerned about the serious consequences of overdose, particularly for vulnerable individuals."
Since then, the MHRA said that it has responded to the letter, and said that it is now carrying out a review of the data around propranolol, including the risk of harm and potential overdose.
A freedom of information request filed by The Observer newspaper showed that over the last 10 years prescriptions rose for propranolol by over 92 percent for girls between the ages of 12 and 17, reaching around 1.1 million prescriptions by 2025.
Between 2015 and 2025 there was also an increase of 82 percent in women aged between 18 and 23.
The concern has come after a reported was published by the NPIS which said that 318 patients in the UK intentionally took an overdose of the drug from 2022 to 2023, and of those overdoses there were 12 deaths.
The report also said that 173 overdoses had involved propranolol, and out of those 108 were prescriptions made to manage anxiety.
In the letter to MHRA the Ms Ryan wrote: “Patient safety is at the heart of this work.
“While propranolol remains an effective treatment for many patients, its use for anxiety presents challenges.
“We are concerned about the serious consequences of overdose, particularly for vulnerable individuals.”
In light of the increased prescriptions for anxiety health experts are calling for prescriptions for this purpose to be reviewed.
Dr Zuzanna Sawicka is the joint chair of the RCP/RCPharm Medicines Safety joint working group, and said: “We are asking the MHRA to review whether the current indication for generalised anxiety disorder and associated safety information remain appropriate.
“Strengthening awareness of these risks among healthcare professionals and patients could support safer prescribing decisions and help prevent avoidable harm.”
The letter also voiced concerns about the effectiveness of propranolol in treating anxiety, even claiming that there is 'no proven evidence' of its effectiveness in treating anxiety, and warning that 'propranolol poisoning is life-threatening, difficult to treat and is associated with a significant number of deaths.'
In the letter, concerned clinicians also added that they were concerned that 'patients at increased risk of overdose, including those taking antidepressants or with a history of overdose, continue to be prescribed propranolol'.
Kit Roberts