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Prescription drug use in 1984 and changes over time
C Baum1, D L Kennedy, D E Knapp
1Center for Drugs and Biologics, Food and Drug Administration, Rockville, MD 20857.
Medical Care
|February 1, 1988
Summary
In 1984, retail pharmacies dispensed over 1.5 billion prescriptions, matching a 1973 record. Cardiovascular and diuretic drug use increased, while psychotherapeutic drug prescriptions declined.
Area of Science:
- Pharmacoeconomics
- Drug utilization research
- Public health
Background:
- In 1984, over 1.5 billion prescriptions were dispensed, costing consumers $18.4 billion.
- Prescription dispensing in 1984 reached a record high, equaling the previous peak in 1973.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze trends in prescription drug utilization in the United States from 1975 to 1984.
- To identify the primary therapeutic classes driving prescription volume and cost.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of prescription data from retail pharmacies.
- Categorization of prescriptions by therapeutic class, including cardiovascular drugs, anti-infectives, psychotherapeutic drugs, and diuretics.
Main Results:
- Cardiovascular and diuretic drug prescriptions significantly increased between 1975 and 1984.
- Prescriptions for psychotherapeutic drugs showed a decrease over the same period.
- Outpatient use of systemic anti-infectives remained stable, while trends within specific drug categories and patient demographics varied.
Conclusions:
- Significant shifts in therapeutic drug class utilization occurred between 1975 and 1984.
- Understanding these trends is crucial for public health policy and resource allocation in healthcare.
- Further research is needed to explore the factors influencing these prescription patterns.