Almost 5 billion retail drug prescriptions were filled in the U.S. last year1 – the equivalent of 14.5 prescriptions for every person in the country; and as of 2019, patients made 1.04 billion medical office visits, only 28% of which concluded with no drugs being provided or prescribed. Here’s the percentage of office visits that did result in a prescription based on number of prescriptions (you’ll be shocked):2
- One prescription – 18.6%
- Two prescriptions – 12.5%
- Three prescriptions – 8.2%
- Four prescriptions – 5.9%
- Five or more prescriptions – 26.8%
- 10 or more prescriptions – 10.5%
Seniors are much more likely to be victims of polypharmacy. A 2008 study found that 81% took at least one prescription drug, with 46% concurrently taking at least one over-the-counter (OTC) drug. Twenty-nine percent of seniors took at least five prescription drugs.3 A 2024 report released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed that the percentage of seniors taking prescription drugs has increased to 88.6%.4
What’s more, a study in Pediatrics found that during 2013-2014, 19.8% of children took at least one prescribed drug, with 7.5% taking multiple prescriptions.5
A new study published earlier this year looked at the seven-day prevalence of OTC and prescription drug use among the general adult population. Sixty-two percent used a prescription or OTC drug in the past week, with a 46.3% seven-day prescription prevalence and 46.0% OTC prevalence. Of those, 16.3% were taking five or more drugs during that week, with 3.3% taking 10 or more drugs during that time frame.6
As you might expect, painkillers were the most often taken OTC drugs. Atorvastatin (to lower cholesterol), lisinopril (for high blood pressure), levothyroxine (to treat hypothyroidism), and amlodipine (for high blood pressure) were the most used prescription drugs.
In addition to this data reflecting on the sad state of the U.S. “health” system, this paints a picture of what you are likely seeing in your office. Almost two-thirds of your patients have taken a prescription or OTC drug in the week before their appointment, with about half your patients taking pain meds. About 20% of the children you see are also on some kind of prescription, with almost 90% of your older patients taking at least one drug.
There is no such thing as a drug without side effects. How each drug will negatively impact each patient is unknown until it happens. In addition to increasing wellness, your care helps to reduce your patients’ exposure to health-robbing side effects, particularly from pain drugs.
Polypharmacy is a real and growing epidemic. Based on the data above, more than half of your patients are taking multiple drugs, with a higher percentage for seniors. And while you can’t unprescribe, you can encourage patients to inquire about reducing or eliminating drugs that may no longer be necessary or, worse yet, may be causing serious harm on their own or via interactions with other drugs.
In addition to showing patients the value of nondrug healthcare that prioritizes prevention and true healing, rather than pharmaceutical symptom-masking, you are their only provider who understands the dangers of medications and is willing to engage in conversations that will protect them. Don’t overlook this opportunity.
References
- “Total Number of Retail Prescriptions Filled Annually in the United States From 2013 to 2025 (in Billions).” Statistica, 2026.
- National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, 2019. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics.
- Qato DM, Alexander GC, Conti RM, et al. Use of prescription and over-the-counter medications and dietary supplements among older adults in the United States. JAMA, 2008 Dec 24;300(24):2867-78.
- Prescription Medication Use, Coverage, and Nonadherence Among Adults Age 65 and Older: United States, 2021-2022. Natl Health Stat Rep, 2024 Sep 5:(209):10.15620/cdc/160016.
- Qato DM, Alexander GC, Guadamuz JS, Lindau ST. Prescription medication use among children and adolescents in the United States. Pediatrics, 2018 Sep;142(3):e20181042.
- Green JL, Dailey-Govoni T, Kalidindi SD, Vosburg SK. Prevalence of over-the-counter and prescription medication use in the US. JAMA Netw Open, 2026;9(2):e2559479.
