Table of Contents
The statistics on medication usage among elderly patients in the US are eye-opening: more than one-third of prescriptions drugs used in the US are taken by elderly patients; the ambulatory elderly fill between 9-13 prescriptions a year (including new prescriptions and refills); the average elderly patient is taking Oct 4, 2010.
How many medications does the average elderly person take per day?
Research shows that the average older adult takes four or more prescription drugs each day, but a whopping 39 percent of seniors take five or more prescriptions each day. While each one was created to treat or manage a specific medical problem, each also comes with its own risks and side effects.
How many medications do older adults take?
Almost 90% of older adults regularly take at least 1 prescription drug, almost 80% regularly take at least 2 prescription drugs, and 36% regularly take at least 5 different prescription drugs. When over-the-counter and dietary supplements are included, these rates are even higher.
How many prescription drugs does the average 70 year old take?
Researchers estimate that 25 percent of people ages 65 to 69 take at least five prescription drugs to treat chronic conditions, a figure that jumps to nearly 46 percent for those between 70 and 79.
How many prescription drugs does the average person take?
How many prescriptions does the average American take? Data suggests that among those who take prescription medications, the average number of medications taken is four. More than 131 million Americans take at least one prescription medication.
What percentage of 60 year olds are on medication?
Older adults can live stronger, longer by carefully following their doctor’s and pharmacist’s instructions regarding medications. People age 65 and older make up 12 percent of the U.S. population, but account for 34 percent of all prescription medication use and 30 percent of all over-the-counter medication use.
What percent of the elderly population regularly take multiple prescription drugs?
Among survey respondents, 75 percent of take a prescription medication on a regular basis, with an even higher percentage for those ages 65 and older. Of these, over 80 percent take at least two prescription drugs and over 50 percent take four or more.
How much does the average senior citizen spend on prescription drugs?
Annual average out-of-pocket prescription drug expenditures for all adults are $177, but people age 65 and older pay much more for their medications. People age 65 to 79 pay $456 out-of-pocket.
What percent of older adults take 5 or more medications?
More than 40 percent of older Americans regularly take five or more prescription drugs, and nearly 20 percent take 10 or more, according to a 2020 report from the nonpartisan think tank Lown Institute.
Why seniors taking many medications do not always take their medications?
Cost: seniors do not fill or refill medications because they can not afford the enormous cost. Some stretch their medications by splitting pills or taking half doses. Fear: Seniors may be afraid to take their medications because of potential side effects.
Is it OK to take multiple medications at once?
There are several risks when taking multiple medicines. You may be more likely to have side effects. Because most medicines can have side effects, the more medicines you take, the more likely you will have side effects. Taking certain medicines can also increase the risk for falls.
How many drugs does the average American take?
Those who use a prescription drug take four, on average, and many also take over-the-counter drugs, vitamins and other dietary supplements, the survey done by Consumer Reports shows.
What percentage of prescription drugs does the US consume?
In 2015–2016, 45.8% of the U.S. population used prescription drugs in the past 30 days. Prescription drug use increased with age, from 18.0% of children under age 12 years to 85.0% of adults aged 60 and over.
What are the top 10 most used drugs?
The 10 Most-Prescribed and Top-Selling Medications Advair Diskus (fluticasone), 13.7 million. Lantus Solostar (insulin glargine), 10.9 million. Vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine), 10.4 million. Lyrica (pregabalin), 10.0 million. Spiriva Handihaler (tiotropium), 9.6 million. Januvia (sitagliptin), 9.1 million.
Are doctors overprescribing medication?
Overprescribing, in general in health care, has been a subject of frequent study. For instance, research published in 2018 found that 46% of a half million outpatient antibiotic prescriptions were written by clinicians without diagnoses of infection.
At what age do our bodies generally begin to decline?
While scientists have found mental decline occurs in our 40s, our organs start declining much earlier. Most bodily functions peak shortly before age 30 and then start going downhill.
What typically increases with aging?
Changes in Metabolism At the same time, total body fat typically increases with age. This often can be explained by lower metabolic rate in addition to too many calories. As people age, fat tends to concentrate in the trunk and as fat deposits around the vital organs.
What is the average cost of a prescription drug?
According to the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development, Americans spend, on average, about $1,200 each year on prescription drugs. The most popular prescription drugs range in cost from $12.41- $97.57.
How many seniors require hospitalization at some point because of medication problems?
About 350,000 patients each year need to be hospitalized for further treatment after emergency visits for adverse drug events. People typically take more medicines as they age, and the risk of adverse events may increase as more people take more medicines.
How many prescription drugs are prescribed each year?
It is estimated that in 2019, 4.38 billion retail prescriptions will be filled throughout the United States. The retail drug industry is comprised of pharmacies or drugstores, as they are known in North America. Characteristic Number of prescriptions filled in billions 2021 4.69 2020 4.55 2019 4.38 2018 4.21.
What is the most commonly prescribed drug class for older adults?
Among U.S. adults aged 60–79, the most commonly used types of prescription drugs were lipid-lowering drugs (45.0%), antidiabetic agents (23.6%), beta blockers (for high blood pressure or heart disease, 22.3%), ACE inhibitors (21.3%), and proton pump inhibitors (16.9%).
What is the most common medication problem in the elderly?
Warfarin is one of the most common causes of medication-related hospitalizations in older adults. To reduce the risk of serious problems, one may need to apply extra care in monitoring warfarin effect (via the prothrombin blood test) and extra care in checking for interactions when a new drug is prescribed.
How many elderly are noncompliant with taking their medications?
Medication nonadherence is widespread among seniors. According to the Department of Health and Human Services: Fifty-five percent of the elderly are non-compliant with their prescription drug orders, meaning they don’t take their medication according to the doctor’s instructions.
How medications affect the elderly?
Common side effects of medicines in older adults can be dizziness and falls, weight loss or weight gain, and changes in memory or our ability to think and process information. These, in turn, can cause older adults to get hurt and may ultimately lessen their ability to function in day-to-day life.
