A study by researchers from Mayo Clinic found that 70 percent of Americans are on at least one prescription drug while more than 50 percent are on two.
Mayo Clinic researchers conducted a survey wherein they found that 7 in 10 Americans are on at least one prescription drug while more than half of them admitted to taking two prescription drugs, with antibiotics, antidepressants and painkilling opioids being the most common ones used. A news release also revealed that 20 percent of Americans also admitted to consuming five or more kinds of drugs and medication.
Study author Jennifer St. Sauver, Ph.D., a member of the Mayo Clinic Population Health Program in the Mayo Clinic Center for the Science of Health Care Delivery, said that the findings of this study are important as they provide an insight in to the prescription practices of the U.S.
She also revealed that most often than not when people talk about health conditions they are often referring to chronic conditions such as heart disease or diabetes. However, considering the amount of antidepressants that have been prescribed to Americans, it would be safe to conclude that mental health problems are also a serious health hazard in the United States. She said that the fact that opioids are the third most prescribed drug used should be something to focus on considering its addictive nature.
Among the participants of the study, 17 percent were prescribed antibiotics, 13 percent were taking antidepressants and 13 percent were on opioids. 11 percent took drugs to control high blood pressure while another 11 percent were on vaccines. While all drugs were prescribed to both genders across all age groups, drugs for maintaining blood pressure was not prescribed to many people under the age of 30.
The authors of the study also found that women and older adults receive more prescriptions. Antidepressants and opioids were found to be most commonly used by young and middle-aged adults. Women receive more prescriptions than men across several drug groups, especially antidepressants.
