title: The use of medication by the Spanish population.
abstract: The aim of the study was to assess patterns of the use of medicines by the general population older than 0 years. The study was based on the information contained in the computerized database from the 1993 Spanish Household Health Survey. A representative sample of the population older than 0 was identified, and a survey of 26,334 persons was carried out. Of the population 45.3% had taken some medicine in the last 2 weeks prior to the carrying out of the survey. The proportion was greater for women (50.6%) than for men (39.6%). With increasing age, the frequency and amount of medication use increased. A little over 20% of the medicines used were not prescribed by a doctor (self-medication). Data show the frequency of the use of medicines by the Spanish population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain.
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Del Rio
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Prada
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Alvarez