Study: 70 Percent Of Americans On Prescription
Drugs
By CBS
By CBS
Rochester, Minn. (CBS
ATLANTA)
– Researchers find that nearly 70 percent of Americans
are on at least one prescription drug, and more than half
receive at least two prescriptions.
Mayo
Clinic
researchers report that antibiotics, antidepressants and
painkiller opioids are the most common prescriptions given to
Americans. Twenty percent of U.S. patients were also found to be
on five or more prescription medications.
The study
is uncovering valuable information to the researchers about U.S.
prescription practices.
“Often
when people talk about health conditions they’re talking about
chronic conditions such as heart disease or diabetes,” Dr. St.
Sauver stated in a Mayo Clinic press release. “However, the
second most common prescription was for antidepressants — that
suggests mental health is a huge issue and is something we
should focus on. And the third most common drugs were opioids,
which is a bit concerning considering their addicting nature.”
Nearly one
in four women ages 50-64 were found to be on an antidepressant,
with 13 percent of the overall population also on
antidepressants. Seventeen percent of people in the study were
being prescribed antibiotics, and 13 percent were on painkilling
opioids.
As a
whole, women and older adults received the most prescription
drugs. Antidepressants and opioids were most common among young
and middle-aged adults.
The
percentage of people who took at least one prescription drug in
the past month increased from 44 percent in 1999-2000 to 48
percent in 2007-08, the Mayo Clinic reports. Expenditures on
prescription drugs reached $250 billion in 2009, and accounted
for 12 percent of total personal health care expenditures.
According
to the CDC, the percent of persons using at least one
prescription drug in the past month increased nearly 50 percent
between 2007 and 2010.
And the
researchers said prescription drug spending will only increase
in the future.
No comments:
Post a Comment