Kids' Consumption of Precription Meds, On The Rise

Filed in archive Consumer Alert , Kid's Health , Studies on May 21, 2010

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New research found that children have emerged as the fastest growing segment of prescription drug use last year in terms of both utilization and spending, and one in four children and nearly 30% of 10-19 year olds now take at least one chronic medication on a daily basis.

These findings were presented in the 2010 Drug Trend Report from Medco Health Solutions, which reviewed the prescription drug use of more than 2 million children, 19 years old and younger from 2001 to 2009.

Other findings include:

• Drug trend - a measure of spending growth - among children 0-19 surged 10.76% last year, more than triple that of seniors.


• In 2009, utilization rose nearly 5% in children, four times higher than the growth in medication use seen among the general population.


• The number of children taking type 2 diabetes drugs increased more than 150% between 2001 and 2009, and 200% among girls 10-19.


• Children using proton pump inhibitors, widely used by adults for chronic heartburn, increased by 147% over nine years.


• Girls, aged 10-19, using antipsychotics increased 130% since 2001

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