A leading GP says many people prescribed drugs for mental health issues would probably not need them if there was better access to resources like Cognitive Behaviour Theraphy or excercise programmes.

Doctors treating medical card patients wrote almost three million (2.85) prescriptions for seven of the most popular depression and anxiety medications in 2013, compared to 2.6 million in 2011 - according to research carried out by Newstalk.com.

The HSE medical card figures showed roughly a million of those were for benzodiazepams like Valium and Xanax, while nearly two million were for antidepressants.

Ray Walley, President of the Irish Medical Organisation and GP in North Inner City, told Newstalk.com's Breakfast show better mental health resources would help to reduce these figures:

Meanwhile, Independent TD Maureen O'Sullivan - who serves constituents in Dublin's inner city - says they are dangerous drugs implicated in violent crimes and creating general health issues:

The information for 2013 is the most recent data published. The HSE is due to publish new figures on the drugs prescribed to medical card patients and refunded on the Drug Payment Scheme will be released in the Autumn.