Evolution of drug consumption in a sample of French workers since 1986: the 'Drugs and Work' study

France is known to have a relatively high prescription rate for medicines. Few studies have investigated drug use among a healthy worker population. The aim of this study was to describe the changing patterns of drug use in French workers since 1986 and to evaluate the impact of programs developed to reduce drug consumption.

A cross-sectional survey has been performed every 10 years since 1986 among workers from the Toulouse metropolitan area (Southwestern, France) using an anonymous questionnaire given to workers during their compulsory annual medical visit. Results of the 2006 survey (2213 workers) were compared to those obtained in 1986 and 1996. A multivariate analysis was performed to investigate factors associated to the modification of drug use with time.

During the last ten years, prevalence of overall drug consumption decreased (40.7% in 2006 vs. 46.7% in 1996, p < 0.001) in contrast to the increase observed between 1986 and 1996. Since 1986, patterns of drug use have been modified with a decrease in anti-infectious (OR = 0.24) digestive (OR = 0.54), psychotropic (OR = 0.54), endocrine (OR = 0.57) and cardiotropic (OR = 0.68) drug use. In contrast, there was a significant increase in musculosqueletic (OR = 2.16) drug use. Whatever the period, overall drug consumption was related to age, gender or extraprofessional problems.

This study illustrates the changing patterns of drug use in a population of workers during the last 20 years and underlines the importance of awareness raising campaigns on prescription patterns.