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Cited by 116Pharmaceutical Practices and Patient OutcomesOpioid Use Disorder TreatmentPharmaceutical Economics and Policy

Age and Sex Patterns of Drug Prescribing in a Defined American Population

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Zhong, Wenjun, Maradit-Kremers, Hilal, St. Sauver, Jennifer L., Yawn, Barbara P., Ebbert, Jon O., Roger, Véronique L., Jacobson, Debra J., McGree, Michaela E. +2 more·2013·Mayo Clinic Proceedings
DOI 10.1016/j.mayocp.2013.04.021PMC PMC3754826
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Abstract

Objective To describe the age and sex patterns of drug prescribing in Olmsted County, Minnesota. Patients and methods Population-based drug prescription records for the Olmsted County population in 2009 were obtained using the Rochester Epidemiology Project medical records linkage system (n=142,377). Drug prescriptions were classified using RxNorm codes and were grouped using the National Drug File-Reference Terminology. Results Overall, 68.1% of the population (n=96,953) received a prescription from at least 1 drug group, 51.6% (n=73,501) received prescriptions from 2 or more groups, and 21.2% (n=30,218) received prescriptions from 5 or more groups. The most commonly prescribed drug groups in the entire population were penicillins and β-lactam antimicrobials (17%; n=23,734), antidepressants (13%; n=18,028), opioid analgesics (12%; n=16,954), antilipemic agents (11%; n=16,082), and vaccines/toxoids (11%; n=15,918). However, prescribing patterns differed by age and sex. Vaccines/toxoids, penicillins and β-lactam antimicrobials, and antiasthmatic drugs were most commonly prescribed in persons younger than 19 years. Antidepressants and opioid analgesics were most commonly prescribed in young and middle-aged adults. Cardiovascular drugs were most commonly prescribed in older adults. Women received more prescriptions than men for several drug groups, in particular for antidepressants. For several drug groups, use increased with advancing age. Conclusion This study provides valuable baseline information for future studies of drug utilization and drug-related outcomes in this population.

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  • Given the prevalence of chronic conditions such as prediabetes, high blood pressure, and prescription medication use, it is possible that more than the reported 1% of adults completing the PAR-Q+ will need physician clearance before participation in a health club.

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    From Pre-exercise screening: role of the primary care physician (2016) · cites this paper as [20]

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Authors
Zhong, W., Maradit-Kremers, H., St. Sauver, J. L., Yawn, B. P., Ebbert, J. O., Roger, V. L., Jacobson, D. J., McGree, M. E., Brue, S. M., & Rocca, W. A.
Affiliations
Mayo Clinic (US)
Corresponding author
Rocca, Walter A.
ORCID
Venue
Mayo Clinic Proceedings
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2013-07
Volume
88
Issue
7
Pages
697-707
ISSN
0025-6196 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.mayocp.2013.04.021
PMC
PMC3754826
OpenAlex
W2066222405
Cited by
116
References
52
Citations by year
2026: 2 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 12 · 2020: 10 · 2019: 13 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 8 · 2016: 22 · 2015: 11 · 2014: 10 · 2013: 1
FWCI
6.24
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Mayo Clinic Proceedings (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
National Institute on Aging (R01AG034676)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Geriatrics and Gerontology › Pharmaceutical Practices and Patient Outcomes
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Opioid Use Disorder Treatment
  • Social Sciences › Economics, Econometrics and Finance › Economics and Econometrics › Pharmaceutical Economics and Policy
Keywords
prescribing patterns, age differences in prescribing, sex differences in prescribing, medication use, Olmsted County, Minnesota, antidepressants, opioid analgesics, cardiovascular drugs, antiasthmatic drugs, Rochester Epidemiology Project
MeSH terms
Adult, Aged, Ambulatory Care, Analgesics, Opioid, Anti-Infective Agents, Cardiovascular Agents, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Outpatients, Practice Patterns, Physicians', Primary Health Care, United States, Prevalence, Age Distribution, Sex Distribution, Drug Utilization Review, Prescription Drugs, Young Adult, Prescription Drug Misuse

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