While the battle rages over the escalating cost of some prescription drugs, American consumption of these pharmaceuticals in general is at an all-time high, with no slowing of usage in sight.
That’s what a team of researchers from Boston and New York institutions found when they examined federal prescription drug use data. Their main finding: 59 percent of adult Americans filled at least one prescription drug order in 2011-2012, compared to 51 percent in the 1999-2000 study period.
The percentage of those who filled at least five drug orders rose from 8 percent in 1999-2000 to 15 percent in the later study period. 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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Dan Cook
Dan Cook is a journalist and communications consultant based in Portland, OR. During his journalism career he has been a reporter and editor for a variety of media companies, including American Lawyer Media, BusinessWeek, Newhouse Newspapers, Knight-Ridder, Time Inc., and Reuters. He specializes in health care and insurance related coverage for BenefitsPRO.
