Prescribing beta-blockers for patients with anxiety - GP views on increasing use in practice

Today, we’re speaking to Dr Charlotte Archer, Research fellow in primary care mental health based at the University of Bristol.

Title of paper: GPs’ views of prescribing beta- blockers for people with anxiety disorders: a qualitative study

Available at: https://doi.org/10.3399/BJGP.2024.0091

Beta-blockers are licensed for managing the symptoms of anxiety, and new prescriptions for patients with anxiety have increased substantially in recent years. However, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance for anxiety does not recommend beta-blockers as a treatment for anxiety, and recent reports have highlighted risks associated with the beta-blocker propranolol. Our research found that GPs prescribe beta-blockers for anxiety because they consider them to be low risk, a quicker solution than other treatments, and useful for managing associated physical symptoms.