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RESEARCHERS REPORT LATEST PATTERNS OF MEDICATION USE IN THE US
27 May 2005 - Boston University
| In 2004, 82 percent of adults and more than 50 percent of children took at least one prescription, over-the-counter, or herbal/natural medication in any given week, Boston University researchers revealed today. These findings are part of an ongoing population-based survey of the full range of medications used in the United States started in 1998 by the Slone Epidemiology Center at Boston University Medical Center. The investigators previously reported on patterns of use in adults in 1998-99. |
The researchers found 30 percent of adults had taken at least five medications during the past week. Medication use increased with age and was higher in women than men in every age group, with one exception, the proportions who took at least 10 medications were similar among persons aged 65 years or older. While the overall rate of drug use among adults has not increased since 1998-99, there are now more users of multiple drugs and more users of prescription drugs. In 2004, prescription-only drugs were taken by 55 percent of the population, with 11 percent taking at least five in a one-week period. The most common prescription drugs used by women were a thyroid supplement, a cholesterol-lowering drug and a diuretic. Among men, they were a cholesterol-lowering drug and an ACE inhibitor. OTC analgesics (pain remedy) were the most frequently used drugs among adults. Decongestants, antihistamines and anti-ulcer agents followed analgesics in frequency. Forty percent of the adult population took a vitamin product, mostly multivitamins, and 19 percent had taken herbal/natural products. In children 18 years and younger, the most frequently used prescription drugs included a bronchodilator, an antihistamine and an antibiotic. The four drugs with the highest use among children were OTC analgesics and cough and cold preparations. Ibuprofen use was particularly common among 12 to 17 year olds. Multivitamins were taken by 20 percent of children, and use was highest in those younger than five years old. Herbal and natural supplement use was uncommon in children. In addition to describing the wide range of medications that Americans use, the Slone Survey provides information on why the drugs are used. In adults, the stated reason for use was largely dominated by hypertension and other specific medical conditions. In contrast, among children, upper respiratory infection, allergy and headache together accounted for almost half of the reported episodes of drug use. Despite the fact that billions of dollars are spent each year on drugs in the United States, and adverse reactions to medications are among the leading cause of hospitalizations and deaths, comprehensive information on medication use by the U.S. population has not been available. “We believe the Slone Survey provides an accurate overall picture of medication use that can be extrapolated to the U.S. population and is of critical importance in defining the “what, how and why” of the full spectrum of medication use among U.S. adults and children,” said David Kaufman, ScD, an author of the report and a professor of epidemiology at BU School of Public Health.
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About: Boston University
Boston University has a well-deserved reputation for excellence in research in a wide range of disciplines and a demonstrated commitment to fostering innovative interdisciplinary research. The Office of the Associate Provost for Research and Graduate Education supports the University in facilitating research at the both the student and faculty levels.Our mission is to enhance and encourage research at Boston University and to provide a climate conducive to maintaining the University at the cutting edge of research and scholarly activities. We work with the Boston University community to plan and coordinate interdisciplinary research and represent the University in research matters related to Inter-University consortia. To encourage new, innovative, and cross-disciplinary efforts, this office administers the Special Program for Research Initiation Grants (SPRInG). We showcase graduate research at Science & Technology Day. This annual event features nearly 200 research posters by graduate students from both the Medical and Charles River Campuses working in a wide range of disciplines. Our annual research magazine, Research at Boston University, informs a wide audience about a selection of our significant research findings and ongoing studies at Boston University. We also maintain a strong presence on the web through this site and through the Science Coalition’s website, which brings our research successes to the attention of Congress and other policy makers in the federal government. To assist Boston University researchers, this office oversees the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program and coordinates with the Office of Sponsored Programs on the Charles River Campus , the research administration on the Medical Campus, the Office of Research Compliance, and the various graduate programs. For the development of commercially viable ideas, we administer the Provost's Innovation Fund and work closely with the Office of Technology Transfer. We also coordinate proposals where there are institutional limits to the number of proposals that may be submitted, cost sharing requirements, significant laboratory renovations, or other special circumstances. This office assists departments and centers to achieve a diverse faculty and graduate student body through our membership and activities with the Northeast Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate and through our affiliation with the Clare Boothe Luce program of the Henry Luce Foundation. |
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