Almost half of all English population is now on prescription drugs

Half of women are taking an average of one prescription drug per week

prescription-drugs-taking
Drugs bust: half of women are taking an average of one prescription drug per week.

Almost half of the English population is taking prescription medication: 50% of women and 43% of men in England are now regularly taking prescription drugs (one in the last week), with more than a fifth taking at least three separate drugs at the same time. Neither contraceptives nor smoking cessation drugs were included. Prescription drug use rise with age, with 70% of those aged 75 or over taking at least three prescribed medicine.

According to the survey , commonly prescribed medications included:

  • cholesterol-lowering statins
  • medications used to treat high blood pressure
  • painkillers, including non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
  • antidepressants: nearly one in five women on a low income areas are taking them.

Sources and more information

  • Use of prescribed medicines, hscic.gov, December 2014.
  • Half of women are taking drugs on prescription… and four in ten men are doing the same, DailyMail, 10 December 2014.
  • Nearly 50% take prescription drugs, bbc news health, 10 December 2014.
  • Spare us the moralising on prescription drugs. Many of us need themthe guardian, 11 December 2014.

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