Health
Services Utilization |
Medication
Use |
In 2004, medication was prescribed or provided
at more than 585 million physician office visits; multiple
drug prescriptions were recorded at 38.9 percent of all
visits. The percent of visits with one or more drugs prescribed
or provided was similar for males and females (64.6 and
64.0 percent). Among females, 36.0 percent of visits did
not involve prescribing or providing any drugs, 25.3 percent
of visits involved the prescription or provision of one
drug, and 14.4 percent of visits involved two drugs.1
The prescription or provision of medications among females
varies by age and drug type. In 2004, the rate of cardiovascular/renal
and pain relief drugs prescribed or provided at physician
office visits generally increased with age, while respiratory
tract drugs decreased with age. Prescription or provision
of nervous system drugs, including mental health medications
such as antidepressants, during physician visits were most
common among women 45–64 years (27.7 per 100 visits). The
highest rate of drug prescription or provision was 65.7
per 100 visits, which was for cardiovascular/renal drugs
among women 75 years and older. Among females under 15 years,
the lowest rate of drug prescription or provision (0.9 per
100 visits) was for cardiovascular/renal drugs, and the
highest rate was for respiratory tract drugs (31.3 per 100
visits).
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VERTICAL Bar CHART: Medication Use Reported for Females During Physician Office Visits, by Age, 2004
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