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November 11, 2015
Prescription Drug Use, Including Polypharmacy, Increases
in U.S. Adults Boston—The prevalence of prescription drug use among U.S. adults increased from 51% in 1999-2000 to 59% in 2011-2012. At the same time, the prevalence of polypharmacy—defined as using five or more prescription drugs—increased from 8% to 15%. That’s according to a study published recently in the Journal of the American Medical Association, which notes that prescription drug use increased in most, but not all, drug classes. The study, led by researchers from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston, employed nationally representative data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) to analyze prescription drug use among 37,959 U.S. adults, 20 and older. Use of prescription drugs in the prior 30 days was assessed overall and by drug class in seven NHANES cycles from 1999 to 2012. Results indicate that use of medications for hypertension increased, 20% to 27%, as did medications to treat hyperlipidemia, mostly statins, 7% to 17%. Another significant increase, 7% to 17%, was found for antidepressants. With 18 drug classes used by more than 2.5% of the population at any point over the study period, the prevalence of use increased in 11 of them. In terms of age groups, prescription drug use increased significantly among adults 40 to 64 years of age and also among those 65 years and older, but not among the younger, 20 to 39 years old cohort. In 2011-2012, the most commonly used individual drug was simvastatin, 7.9%, increasing from 2.0% in 1999-2000. Other drugs in the top 10 drugs included lisinopril, levothyroxine, metoprolol, metformin, hydrochlorothiazide, omeprazole, amlodipine, atorvastatin, and albuterol. Only atorvastatin did not show an increase in use over the study period. “Eight of the 10 most commonly used drugs in 2011-2012 are used to treat components of the cardiometabolic syndrome, including hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia. Another is a proton-pump inhibitor used for gastroesophageal reflux, a condition more prevalent among individuals who are overweight or obese,” the authors write. “Thus, the increase in use of some agents may reflect the growing need for treatment of complications associated with the increase in overweight and obesity.”
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