Older U.S. Adults Are Using More Prescription Medications and Dietary Supplements

A recent study showed that prescription drug use and prevalence of polypharmacy among older U.S. adults rose significantly between 1999 and 2012 (NEJM JW Gen Med Dec 1 2015 and JAMA 2015; 314:1818). In this study, researchers added to those findings by assessing use of over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription medications and dietary supplements among older adults in 2005–2006 (2351 participants) and in 2011–2012 (2206 participants). Mean age in both cohorts was 71.

Between the two survey periods, the percentage of participants who used prescription medications rose slightly, from 84% to 88%; OTC medication use declined from 44% to 38%, whereas dietary supplement use rose from 52% to 64%. Concurrent use of ≥5 prescription medications increased…