Non-fatal self-poisoning due to medicinal agents more than doubled in England & Wales during the period 1968-78. A positive correlation is found between the rate at which psychotropic drugs are prescribed & the drug overdose rate. Regression analysis indicated a reduction of 1000 drug prescriptions would be associated with 3.8 fewer drug overdoses. It is suggested that the benefits of reduced prescribing outweigh the costs. A relationship was not found between unemployment & drug overdoses.(NBB)