Alternative Therapies as a Substitute for Costly Prescription Medications: Results from the 2011 National Health Interview Survey.
OBJECTIVE
Some researchers have suggested that the popularity of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in the United States is due, in part, to the growing cost of conventional medical care. The 2011 National Health Interview Survey is the first population survey that directly asks respondents if they have substituted alternative therapies for prescription medications. The purpose of this study was to estimate the adult prevalence of CAM substitution and to identify factors associated with cost-related CAM use.


METHODS
The sample adult core component of the 2011 National Health Interview Survey (N = 33,014) included a number of questions about prescription medication access and use, including "in the past 12 months, did you use alternative therapies to save money?" We used the Behavioral Model of Health Services Use to identify factors associated with the use of alternative therapies among respondents. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to evaluate factors associated with cost-related CAM use.


RESULTS
An estimated 12.3 million adults (5.4% of the population) used alternative therapies to save money in 2011. Women, middle-aged (31-50 years) adults, and residents of the western United States were more likely to engage in CAM substitution, as were smokers, those with activity limitations, and those in fair or poor health. The highest rates of CAM substitution were reported by uninsured adults (11.9%).


CONCLUSIONS
A sizable number of adults in the United States use alternative therapies because they are cheaper than prescription medications. The health risks of such CAM substitution can be serious, and the phenomenon merits further investigation.
School of Pharmacy, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
Chi-Chuan
CC
Wang
Department of Health Policy and Administration, Washington State University, Spokane, Washington.
Jae
J
Kennedy
School of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan. Electronic address: chunghwu@tmu.edu.tw.
Chung-Hsuen
CH
Wu
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016527:Drug Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D055553:Prescription Drugs / Q000191:economics*; D015995:Prevalence; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States
D055553:Prescription Drugs
National Health Interview Survey (NHIS); complementary and alternative medicine (CAM); cost; prescriptions; substitution