No. 36 - Seniors taking medication

The majority of seniors take some form of prescription or over-the-counter medication. In fact, in 1999, 76% of all seniors living at home took some form of medication in the two days prior to the survey, with 53% using two or more medications in this period.

Seniors aged 75-84 are generally more likely than their younger and older counterparts to take more than one medication. In 1999, 61% of those aged 75-84 took more than one type of medication in the two days prior to the survey, compared with 51% of those aged 85 and over and 49% of those aged 65-74.

Pain relievers, used by 63% of all seniors in the month preceding the survey in 1999, and tranquilizers, used by 57%, were the medication most often taken by seniors. At the same time, 36% used medication for blood pressure, while smaller shares used sleeping pills (9%), penicillin or other antibiotics (7%), asthma medication (6%), antidepressants (5%) or allergy
medication (3%).

Percentage of seniors taking prescription or
over-the-counter medications in the two days
prior to the survey, 1999