Frequent monthly use of selected non-prescription and prescription non-narcotic analgesics among U.S. adults.
OBJECTIVE
Analgesics offer many benefits, however, chronic, long-term use may pose risks of adverse drug events. The objective of this study was to estimate frequent monthly non-narcotic analgesic use among U.S. adults, identifying socio-demographic trends and potentially at-risk groups.


METHODS
Analysis of adult medication use data from the 1999-2000 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey household interview (n = 4880).


RESULTS
Some 20% of U.S. adults used non-prescription or prescription non-narcotic analgesics on a frequent basis, that is nearly every day for a month, at some point during their lifetime. Also, 14% of U.S. adults were currently using analgesics frequently. Aspirin was most commonly used (8%), followed by non-aspirin non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NANSAID, 3%) and acetaminophen (3%). Three-quarters of aspirin, 46% of NANSAID and 63% of acetaminophen users were long-term frequent monthly users (1+ years). Seven percent of frequent monthly analgesic users reported using two or more analgesics nearly every day during the month. Frequent analgesic use was most common among older adults and non-Hispanic whites with no differences by gender or education. Use patterns, however, varied by analgesic subgroups.


CONCLUSIONS
Frequent monthly non-narcotic analgesic use, especially of over-the-counter analgesics, is widely prevalent among U.S. adults. Health-care providers should heighten their awareness of this trend, and routinely monitor both non-prescription and prescription analgesic use in their patients to prevent adverse drug effects and inappropriate use.
Paulose-Ram
Ryne
R
Division of Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Hyattsville, MD 20782, USA. RPaulose@cdc.gov
Hirsch
Rosemarie
R
Dillon
Charles
C
Gu
Qiuping
Q
D000082:Acetaminophen / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018712:Analgesics, Non-Narcotic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001241:Aspirin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004363:Drug Utilization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D004366:Nonprescription Drugs / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D014481:United States
D018712:Analgesics, Non-Narcotic; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D004366:Nonprescription Drugs; D000082:Acetaminophen; D001241:Aspirin