Trends in Prescription Drug Use Among Adults in the United States From 1999-2012

Abstract

Use of prescription drugs represents a major expenditure in the United States,¹ and research suggests that use of prescription drugs is increasing.² Yet much of the information about prescription use is derived from pharmacy databases or expenditure data,^1,3,4 neither of which directly captures use at the population level. Although several studies have sought to assess prescription drug use on the population level,^5-15 these studies are either outdated, narrow in scope, or limited to certain populations such as older individuals or those with a given clinical indication.