Denmark and the United Kingdom have similar rates of prescribing medications for routine health maintenance among older adults. However, the two countries show marked differences in their use of drugs for mental health and pain management. In the UK, antidepressants are prescribed at a rate much higher than the average across OECD countries, while Denmark has managed to reduce its use of these medications in recent years. Last year, England saw over 92 million antidepressants dispensed to nearly 9 million patients—roughly one in six adults. In contrast, Denmark experienced a 4% decline in antidepressant consumption between 2010 and 2020. The UK also has the highest overall rate of opioid prescriptions globally, according to data from 2019. These drugs are typically used for chronic pain, mental distress, and social isolation. In Denmark, opioid prescriptions have decreased by more than a third since 2010. Research suggests that higher prescribing rates are often linked to social and economic disadvantage. In England, areas with the highest levels of deprivation see nearly three times as many antipsychotic prescriptions compared to the least deprived areas, and opioid prescriptions are roughly twice as high in poorer regions. In 2024-25, England dispensed around 1.26 billion prescription items, averaging about 22 items per person—a 4% increase from the previous year. Denmark, by comparison, had around 13 prescription items per person. The UK government has acknowledged that approximately 10% of prescriptions issued in primary care may be unnecessary or overprescribed. In Denmark, access to basic painkillers is tightly controlled, with only one weak codeine combination available behind pharmacy counters. In the UK, common painkillers like paracetamol and ibuprofen are widely available in corner shops and petrol stations. When the UK restricted the size of paracetamol packages in 1998, overdose deaths from the drug dropped by 43%, and liver transplants due to paracetamol poisoning fell by 61%. Denmark's lower use of medications for pain and mental health reflects the benefits of stronger social structures, including lower inequality, a more robust safety net, and an environment designed to promote overall wellbeing. In contrast, the UK has faced over a decade of austerity, increasing wealth inequality, and weakened public health systems. These factors have contributed to a significant gap in healthy life expectancy between the richest and poorest in England, now standing at 19 years.