Prozac one of 30 antidepressants probed by UK watchdog over links to suicide

Exclusive: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency is to look at the effectiveness of side-effect warnings in relation to the most commonly prescribed antidepressants on the UK market

More than 86 million prescriptions for antidepressants were given out in the UK in 2022-23 (Getty)

More than 30 of the most common antidepressants used in the UK are to be reviewed by the UK’s medicines regulator, as figures point to hundreds of deaths linked to suicide and self-harm among people prescribed these drugs.

The medicines, which include Prozac and are prescribed to millions of patients, will all be looked at by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

It follows concerns raised by families in Britain over the adequacy of safety measures in place to protect those taking the drugs, such as warnings about potential side effects.