Use of prescribed and non-prescribed medicines by the elderly: implications for who chooses, who pays and who monitors the risks of medicines

摘要

Objective To examine overall medicine use and the prevalence and distribution of use of the different types of medicines by the community dwelling elderly; and to discuss the implications of these use profiles for the health of this population.Method We examined aggregate levels of self-reported use of prescription (Rx) and over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, and natural health products (NHPs) among community-dwelling elderly. Analysis focused on the relative balance of use of different types and combinations of medicines, and differences between five-year age categories, and sex.Setting Data are based on Canada's National Population Health Survey (1996/1997), and reflect population estimates of medicines use (over