Therapeutic Drug Use
Data are for the U.S.
Prescription drug use
- Percent of persons using at least one prescription drug in the past 30 days: 48.4% (2013-2016)
- Percent of persons using three or more prescription drugs in the past 30 days: 24% (2013-2016)
- Percent of persons using five or more prescription drugs in the past 30 days: 12.6% (2013-2016)
Source: Health, United States, 2018, table 38 pdf icon[PDF – 9.8 MB]
Physician office visits
- Number of drugs ordered or provided: 2.9 billion
- Percent of visits involving drug therapy: 73.9%
- Most frequently prescribed therapeutic classes:
- Analgesics
- Antihyperlipidemic agents
- Dermatological agents
Hospital emergency department visits
- Number of drugs given or prescribed: 368.5 million
- Percent of visits involving drug therapy: 81.1%
- Most frequently prescribed therapeutic classes
- Analgesics
- Antiemetic or antivertigo agents
- Minerals and electrolytes
More Data
- Trends in Prescription Drugs from Health, United States
- Trends in Opioids Prescribed at Discharge From Emergency Departments Among Adults: United States, 2006–2017 pdf icon[PDF – 437 KB]
- Prescription Drug Use Among Adults Aged 40–79 in the United States and Canada
- Prevalence of Prescription Opioid Analgesic Use Among Adults: United States, 2013–2016
- Opioids Prescribed at Discharge or Given During Emergency Department Visits Among Adults in the United States, 2016
- Prescription Drug Use in the United States, 2015–2016
- Strategies Used by Adults to Reduce Their Prescription Drug Costs: United States, 2013
- Prescription Cholesterol-lowering Medication Use in Adults Aged 40 and Over: United States, 2003–2012
- Prescription Opioid Analgesic Use Among Adults: United States, 1999–2012
- Antidepressant Use in Persons Aged 12 and Over: United States, 2011-2014
Page last reviewed: January 19, 2017
Content source: CDC/National Center for Health Statistics