IMPORTANCE It is important to document patterns of prescription drug use to inform both clinical practice and research. OBJECTIVE To evaluate trends in prescription drug use among adults living in the United States. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Temporal trends in prescription drug use were evaluated using nationally representative data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination...

The determinants of realized, perceived, and potential access to prescription drugs among an elderly population were studied. Data were derived from telephone interviews of 3498 noninstitutionalized elderly persons living in west Texas. Access indicators examined were whether the respondents were taking prescription drugs, had perceived problems in obtaining prescription drugs, had comprehensiv...

Background: Drug-drug Interaction (DDI) among the elderly is one of the major healthcare challenges worldwide. The present study assessed the rates of DDI and inappropriate drug prescription among the elderly in Kashan City, Iran.  Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was designed, conducted, and reported according to the guideline of Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies ...

INTRODUCTION Six out of every 10 elderly persons live in developing countries. OBJECTIVE To analyze and assess the drug prescription patterns and errors in elderly outpatients attending public health care centers in Mexico City, Mexico. MATERIALS AND METHODS A descriptive and retrospective study was conducted in 2007. Fourteen hundred prescriptions were analyzed. Prescriptions of ambulatory...

The rising cost of prescription drugs has caused public officials to restructure prescription drug coverage and payment policies in Medicaid. This study examines Medicaid utilization and payments for prescription drugs from 1990 to 1997. Medicaid prescription drug payments grew from $4.4 billion in 1990 to almost $12 billion in 1997, representing an average annual increase of 15.3 percent. In 1...

This Issue Brief closely examines expenditures on prescription drugs, and discusses their potential to substitute for other types of health care services. In addition, it describes employer coverage of prescription drugs, direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription drugs, and potential legislation affecting the prescription drug market. Prescription drug expenditures grew at double-digit rat...