Use of Medicines by Community Dwelling Elderly in Ontario

Peri J. Ballantyne, Joan A. Marshman, Philippa J. Clarke and J. Charles Victor

Social and Economic Dimensions of an Aging Population Research Papers from McMaster University

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: Prescription medicine use by the elderly is of growing concern as indicated by a large literature focused on rising costs, patient compliance and the appropriateness of use. However, prescriptions account for only a portion of medicines used by the elderly, who have increasing access to non-prescription medicines and natural health products. The objective of this paper is to describe overall medicine use among the elderly in Ontario. METHODS: Using the National Population Health Survey (1996/97), we describe self-reported use of prescription, non-prescription and alternative medicines among elderly Ontarians aged 65+, and we compare use among four age sub-groups and by gender. Analysis is focused on the prevalence of, and the relative balance of use of different types of medicines. RESULTS: About one quarter of the respondents reported using no prescription or non-prescription medicines in the two days prior to being surveyed; a large majority reported using two or fewer medicines only, and use of non- prescription medicines was reported more often than prescription medicines (56% vs 48%). Use of natural health products by seniors is relatively low, but we observe a trend toward increased use in younger age groups. DISCUSSION: The findings place the consumption of prescription medicines by the elderly into a broader context that reveals that much of medicine use by the elderly involves non-prescribed products. We highlight the need to better understand seniors' decision-making regarding the different types of medicines available, and the financial costs and health risks of the medicine regimes of elderly persons.

Keywords: elderly; medicine-use; prescription medicines; over-the-counter medicines; natural health products; NPHS (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I12 J14 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 23 pages
Date: 2003-07
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-hea
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