Prescription drug use in the elderly: a descriptive analysis.

Publication/Presentation Date

1-1-2003

Abstract

In the current policy debate, pharmaceutical use in the elderly has been characterized largely by its economic impact, with little discussion of what drugs the elderly are taking. Based on data from the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS), this study defines subgroups of the community-dwelling elderly using health and functional status, and provides a comprehensive description of the composition of prescription drug use in this population. Drugs are classified into 16 primary therapeutic classes, with further breakdown into secondary classes and characterization by chronic versus acute use. Utilization is reported by age and health status categories.

Volume

24

Issue

4

First Page

127

Last Page

141

ISSN

0195-8631

Disciplines

Business Administration, Management, and Operations | Health and Medical Administration | Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods

PubMedID

14628405

Department(s)

Administration and Leadership

Document Type

Article

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