Prescription drug spending doubled in less than a decade

[mike r]

http://www.usatoday.com/yourlife/health/healthcare/2010-09-04-prescription-drugs_N.htm

Prescription drug spending doubled in less than a decade
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay

Over the last 10 years, the percentage of Americans who took at least one prescription drug in the past month increased from 44% to 48%, says a federal government study. Use of two or more drugs increased from 25% to 31%, and the use of five or more drugs increased from 6% to 11%, according to the analysis of data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The study also found that 20% of children and 90% of adults aged 60 and older reported using at least one prescription drug in the past month, said the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention researchers. Spending on prescription drugs in the United States totaled more than $234.1 billion in 2008, more than double the amount spent in 1999.

The most commonly used types of drugs in 2007-2008 included: cholesterol-lowering drugs, or statins, for older people; asthma medicines for children; antidepressants for middle-aged adults; and central nervous stimulants for adolescents. Access to health care and health insurance are important factors in the use of prescription medicines. People with a regular place for health care were 2.7 times more likely to have used prescription drugs in the past month than those without a consistent place for health care, and people with health insurance were nearly twice as likely to have used at least one prescription drug than those without insurance. Among those with health insurance, those with a prescription drug benefit were 22% more likely to use prescription drugs than those without this benefit.

The use of multiple prescription drugs varied by age. Among children younger than 12 years, less than 10% used two or more prescription drugs in the past month and only 1% used five or more. Among adults aged 60 and older, more than 76% used two or more prescription drugs and 37% used five or more. The higher drug use among seniors reflects the need to treat the many diseases that commonly occur in this age group, the researchers said. However, they noted that the use of multiple medications can lead to harmful drug interactions, failure to take all prescribed medications, and increased health care costs. The study also found that women were more likely than men to use prescription drugs and that whites had the highest prescription drug use while Mexican Americans had the lowest level of use.

[dixiegrrrrl]

1. I wonder if that included the mandatory vaccinations?

My 83 y/o neighbor is given an annual flu shot every spring, plus one for pneumonia, plus a couple anti-biotic shots
for god knows why.
Every year.
She has very good insurance.
Now there is a 159.00 plus shingles vaccination, she wants that.

Not to mention that newborns are given a drug cocktail including Hep B shots!

Huge fortune is being made just in vaccinations, on top of pills.

[Gman]

2. This is not necessarily a bad thing

The percentages will go up as baby boomers continue to age (but mitigated as they start to die). And I don't want to think about my daughter without Adderal.

[ejpoeta]

3. well imagine as the trends are to see drugs to take WITH your current drug

like the one you take with your anti depressant. they seem to be coming out with several of these. there is a pill for just about anything as well.

[Ernesto]

4. Gee! Could this have anything to do with the repuke big pharma welfare bill? nt

[SheilaT]

5. I'm 62 years old, take no prescription meds.

While there certainly are many good, worthwhile, and truly life-saving drugs out there, I'm constantly bothered by how many people turn first to some sort of prescription, rather than maybe changing something in how they live. The other problem is that conditions that used to be considered normal have been medicalized, and people pushed to take drugs with serious side effects.