Who's using medicines?

Data derived from 1968-69 household survey of 3,481 persons in the Baltimore Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area revealed rates of medicine use and characteristics of users. In the 2 days before interview, 56% of the study population used one or more medicines. Users of prescribed medicine (33%) averaged 1.8 different kinds, and users of nonprescribed medicine (36%) averaged 1.4 kinds. Among users of prescribed medicine, 39% were also self-medicating. Pain relivers, vitamins, and cough and cold medicines were the most frequently used types. Two-thirds of physician visits were associated with an injection, immunization, medicine, or prescription. Rates of use for both prescribed and nonprescribed medicine were higher in females and varied with age, with nonprescribed varying less than prescribed. Nonwhites were less likely than whites to use either prescribed or nonprescribed medicines in all social status categoreis. Use of prescribed medicine increased with the increasing severity of acute and chronic illness, but use of nonprescribed medicine varied little with morbidity. Use of prescribed or nonprescribed medicine did not vary with economic class. Differences in use by age, sex, and race could not be accounted for by differences in morbidity, physician visits, or use of oral contraceptives.