Over the course of 12 months, use of Viagra and other erectile dysfunction drugs has increased by more than quarter in England. As per reports, in 2014, there were over 1.7 million items prescriptions for sildenafil that is usually sold as Viagra.

This has increased from 1.4 million in a year earlier and a million 10 years ago. However, it hasn’t been figured out what led to its prescription rise. The cost of sildenafil has dropped by 85.9% over the past two years since there are generic alternatives, however this won’t have an effect on costs of prescription.

According to the Health and Social Care Information Centre, prescriptions for drugs in order to treat anxiety disorder, depressive illness, generalized obsessive-compulsive disorder, and panic attacks have also increased.

Last year, 57.1 million anti-depressants were distributed, which increased 7.2% from 53.3 million in 2013. The number has almost doubled since 2004, with an increase of 97.1% from 29 million.

As per the HSCIC, last year, over 1.7 billion items were prescribed in England; it increased by 3.3% in 2013. On the whole, last year, net ingredient cost of prescriptions was at £8.85billion.

More money was spent by the NHS on drugs for diabetes for the eighth year consecutively. Last year, this figure increased by £55.3million £849.1million. Since 2013, the number of prescriptions that reduces probability of heart attacks and strokes has increased by four million.