More Americans than ever are taking prescription drugs, and they’re using more of them. The increased demand was largely made up of mood changers, drugs that address obesity, muscle relaxers and certain proton pump inhibitors.
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It’s important that we continue to monitor use of prescription drugs in the population, as practice patterns are continually evolving as the population ages, the health needs of the population change, drugs enter/exit the market, scientific knowledge advances, and policies change. We then looked at trends in prescription drug use, both overall and within drug classes.
Prescription drug use is rising across the United States.
People with health insurance are more likely to report use of prescription drugs, so increased access to prescription drugs under the Affordable Care Act would be expected to increase use, she said.
Many drugs used to treat obesity-related issues, including hypertension, cholesterol and diabetes, saw large upticks in prescriptions.
Substantial increases in prescription drug use were seen in people 40 to 64 years of age as well as those 65 years and older, the researchers noted, but not among adults 20 to 39 years old. In comparison, 51% of USA residents took at least one prescription drug from 1999 to 2000, with 8% of such individuals taking at least five prescriptions during those years.
A few medications were used less, including hormones to treat menopause symptoms after it was discovered they were associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, heart disease, and stroke.
The study is based on data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, an ongoing study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Drugs to treat gastroesophageal reflux, a condition common in overweight or obese people, is also frequently prescribed and used more and more, the researchers point out. The 2012 data were the most recent available. In 2011- 2012, the most commonly used drug was simvastatin, which has been taken by around 8% of USA adults.
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While the battle rages over the escalating cost of a few prescription drugs, American consumption of these pharmaceuticals in general is at an all-time high, with no slowing of usage in sight. The rate for blood pressure medications rose from 20 to 27 percent and the rate for cholesterol medications rose from 7 to 17 percent. Yet much of the information about prescription use is derived from pharmacy databases or expenditure data, neither of which directly captures use at the population level. Researchers offered no clear explanation but said the disparity “was not entirely attributable” to differences in insurance status.
