NCHS Data Brief ■ No. 334 ■ May 2019

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Center for Health Statistics

Prescription Drug Use in the United States, 2015–2016

Crescent B. Martin, M.P.H., M.A., Craig M. Hales, M.D., M.P.H., Qiuping Gu, M.D., Ph.D., and 

Cynthia L. Ogden, Ph.D., M.R.P.

Key findings

Data from the National 

Health and Nutrition 

Examination Survey 

● In 2015–2016, 45.8% of 

the U.S. population used 

prescription drugs in the 

past 30 days.

● Prescription drug use 

increased with age, from 18.0% 

of children under age 

12 years to 85.0% of adults 

aged 60 and over.

● Prescription drug use was 

highest among non-Hispanic 

white persons followed 

by non-Hispanic black 

persons, and lowest among 

non-Hispanic Asian and 

Hispanic persons.

● The most commonly 

used types of drugs included 

bronchodilators for ages 0–11 

years, central nervous system 

stimulants for ages 12–19, 

antidepressants for ages 20–59, 

and lipid-lowering drugs for 

ages 60 and over.

● The percentage of the 

U.S. population that used 

prescription drugs decreased 

over the preceding decade. 

Monitoring prescription drug use patterns at the population level (1) can 

inform research and clinical practice. These patterns may shift over time in 

response to changing health needs, updated clinical guidelines (2), policy 

changes, and other factors (1,3). The percentage of the U.S. population that 

used one or more prescription drugs increased from 1999–2000 through 

2007–2008 (4). This report describes prescription drug use by age, sex, and 

race and Hispanic origin in 2015–2016 and trends over the preceding decade.

What percentage of the U.S. population used one or more 

prescription drugs in the past 30 days in 2015–2016, and did 

use differ by age and sex?

In 2015–2016, 45.8% of the U.S. population used one or more prescription 

drugs in the past 30 days (Figure 1). Prescription drug use increased with age, 

overall and among males and females. 

Figure 1. Use of one or more prescription drugs in the past 30 days, by age (years) and sex: 

United States, 2015–2016

1

Significantly different from females. 

2

Significant increasing trend with age. 

NOTES: Estimates for all ages are age adjusted by the direct method to the 2000 projected U.S. population using age groups 

0–11, 12–19, 20–59, and 60 and over. Crude estimates are 48.1% for total, 43.0% for male, and 53.1% for female. Access data 

table for Figure 1 at: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db334_tables-508.pdf#1.

SOURCE: NCHS, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2015–2016. Percent

45.8 1

41.5

50.0

18.0

1

22.0

13.7

27.0 26.9 27.2

46.7

1

37.5

55.5

85.0 85.1 85.0

0

20

40

60

80

100

Total2 Male2 Female2

All ages 0–11 12–19 20–59 60 and over

NCHS reports can be downloaded from: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/index.htm.
NCHS Data Brief ■ No. 334 ■ May 2019

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Overall, 18.0% of children aged 0–11 years, 27.0% of adolescents aged 12–19, 46.7% of adults 

aged 20–59, and 85.0% of adults aged 60 and over used prescription drugs in the past 30 days. 

Prescription drug use was lower among males (41.5%) than females (50.0%), although the pattern 

differed by age. Among children aged 0–11 years, prescription drug use was higher among boys 

(22.0%) than girls (13.7%), while among adults aged 20–59, prescription drug use was lower 

among men (37.5%) than women (55.5%). No significant differences by sex were observed 

among adolescents aged 12–19 or adults aged 60 and over.

Did prescription drug use in the past 30 days differ by age and race and 

Hispanic origin in 2015–2016?

Overall, prescription drug use was higher among non-Hispanic white (50.0%) persons compared 

with non-Hispanic black (44.7%), Hispanic (37.1%), and non-Hispanic Asian (33.4%) persons 

(Figure 2). Prescription drug use was also higher among non-Hispanic black persons compared 

with non-Hispanic Asian and Hispanic persons. The patterns among adolescents aged 12–19 and 

adults aged 20–59 were similar to the overall pattern. Among adolescents, 34.8% of non-Hispanic 

white, 22.1% of non-Hispanic black, 12.7% of non-Hispanic Asian, and 16.3% of Hispanic 

adolescents used prescription drugs. Among adults aged 20–59, 52.4% of non-Hispanic white, 

45.3% of non-Hispanic black, 30.2% of non-Hispanic Asian, and 33.6% of Hispanic adults used 

prescription drugs. 

1–350.0

1

18.4

1–334.8

1–352.4

85.3

1,344.7

1

19.0

1,322.1

1,345.3

85.3

33.4

10.1 12.7

30.2

82.4

37.1

1

18.1 16.3

33.6

83.3

0

20

40

60

80

100

All ages 0–11 12–19 20–59 60 and over

Percent

Non-Hispanic white Non-Hispanic black Non-Hispanic Asian Hispanic

Figure 2. Use of one or more prescription drugs in the past 30 days, by age and race and Hispanic origin: United States,

2015–2016

Age group4

 (years)

1

Significantly different from non-Hispanic Asian persons.

2

Significantly different from non-Hispanic black persons.

3

Significantly different from Hispanic persons.

4

Significant increasing trend with age.

NOTES: Estimates for all ages were age adjusted by the direct method to the 2000 projected U.S. population using age groups 0–11, 12–19, 20–59, and 

60 and over. Access data table for Figure 2 at: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db334_tables-508.pdf#2.

SOURCE: NCHS, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2015–2016.
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Among children aged 0–11 years, a lower percentage of non-Hispanic Asian children (10.1%) 

used prescription drugs compared with non-Hispanic white (18.4%), non-Hispanic black (19.0%), 

and Hispanic (18.1%) children. Among adults aged 60 and over, there were no differences 

between race and Hispanic-origin groups in the use of one or more prescription drugs.

For all race and Hispanic-origin groups, use of prescription drugs increased with age.

What were the most commonly used types of prescription drugs in 

2015–2016?

The top three types of prescription drugs used by the U.S. population during 2015–2016 varied 

by age (Figure 3). The most commonly used prescription drug types in the past 30 days were 

bronchodilators for children aged 0–11 years (used by 4.3% of children), central nervous system 

stimulants for adolescents aged 12–19 (6.2%), antidepressants for adults aged 20–59 (11.4%), and 

lipid-lowering drugs for adults aged 60 and over (46.3%).

Figure 3. Use of the most commonly used prescription drug types in the past 30 days, by age group: United States, 

2015–2016

NOTES: The primary indication for use of the drug type is in parentheses. Other drug types may also be used for the same indications as those shown. CNS is 

central nervous system. Oral contraceptives were used by 7.5% of girls aged 12–19. Access data table for Figure 3 at: 

https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db334_tables-508.pdf#3.

SOURCE: NCHS, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2015–2016.

0 10 20 30 40 50

46.3

24.8

22.6

11.4

8.3

7.5

6.2

3.7

3.7

Percent

4.3

3.5

2.7

Lipid-lowering drugs (high cholesterol)

Beta-blockers (high blood pressure, heart disease)

Antidiabetic drugs

60 years and over

Antidepressants

Analgesics (pain relief)

Lipid-lowering drugs (high cholesterol)

20–59 years

CNS stimulants (attention deficit disorder)

Bronchodilators (asthma)

Oral contraceptives (birth control, regulate menstruation)

12–19 years

Bronchodilators (asthma)

CNS stimulants (attention deficit disorder)

0–11 years

Penicillins (infections)
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Have trends in prescription drug use changed over the preceding 10 years?

Prescription drug use decreased among the U.S. population from 48.3% in 2007–2008 to 45.8% 

in 2015–2016 (Figure 4). Prescription drug use also decreased among children aged 0–11 years, 

from 22.4% in 2007–2008 to 18.0% in 2015–2016. The observed declines in prescription drug 

use among adults aged 20–59 and adults aged 60 and over were not statistically significant, and 

there was no significant trend among adolescents aged 12–19. 

Figure 4. Trends in use of one or more prescription drugs in the past 30 days, by age (years): United States, 2007–2016

1

Significant decreasing linear trend from 2007–2008 through 2015–2016.

NOTES: Estimates for all ages are age adjusted by the direct method to the 2000 projected U.S. population using age groups 0–11, 12–19, 20–59, and 60 and 

over. Access data table for Figure 4 at: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db334_tables-508.pdf#4.

SOURCE: NCHS, National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, 2007–2016.

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

2007–2008 2009–2010 2011–2012 2013–2014 2015–2016

Percent

Survey period

60 and over

20–59

12–19

0–111

All ages1
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Summary

During 2015–2016, almost one-half of the U.S. population used one or more prescription drugs 

in the past 30 days (45.8%). Prescription drug use increased with age, and a higher percentage 

of females (50.0%) than males (41.5%) used prescription drugs, but the pattern varied by age. 

Prescription drug use was higher in males among children aged 0–11 years but higher in females 

among adults aged 20–59, while there were no differences by sex among adolescents aged 

12–19 or adults aged 60 and over. Patterns across race and Hispanic-origin groups also varied by 

age. Among adults aged 60 and over, no significant differences were observed among race and 

Hispanic-origin groups.

The most commonly used types of prescription drugs included bronchodilators for children 

aged 0–11 years, central nervous system stimulants for adolescents aged 12–19, antidepressants 

for adults aged 20–59, and lipid-lowering drugs for adults aged 60 and over. From 2007–2008 

through 2015–2016, prescription drug use decreased for the overall population and for children 

aged 0–11 years.

Monitoring the use of prescription drugs may describe aspects of the health of the U.S. 

population. Differences in the most commonly used prescription drug types by age group 

illustrate differences in the prevalence of health conditions at various stages of life. Changing 

trends in prescription drug use over time may be influenced by changing disease prevalence 

and diagnosis (5,6), expanded treatment recommendations (2,7), and decline in the use of 

inappropriate or ineffective therapies (8,9).

Definitions

Prescription drug use: Participants were asked if they had taken a prescription drug (not including 

prescription dietary supplements) in the past 30 days. For participants under age 16, a parent 

or other proxy provided the information. Those who answered “yes” were asked to show the 

interviewer the medication containers of all prescription drugs. For each drug reported, the 

interviewer recorded the product’s complete name from the container, if available.

Therapeutic drug class (type of drugs): Prescription drugs were classified based on the threelevel nested therapeutic classification scheme in Lexicon Plus, a proprietary drug database of 

Cerner Multum, Inc. (10). Up to four classes were assigned to each drug. The most commonly 

cited second level of drug categorical codes were used in this analysis. A drug’s therapeutic class 

does not always align one-to-one with its primary indication. For example, drugs that are used to 

treat high blood pressure span multiple therapeutic classes (i.e., ACE inhibitors, beta-blockers, 

diuretics, and calcium channel blockers), and drugs in a single therapeutic class may be used 

to treat multiple health conditions (e.g., beta-blockers also can be used to treat certain heart 

diseases). Different approaches to classifying prescription drugs may result in differences in the 

most commonly used drug types for a given age group. 
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Data source and methods

Data for this report are from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 

a cross-sectional survey conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics and designed 

to monitor the health and nutritional status of the civilian noninstitutionalized U.S. population. 

It consists of home interviews followed by standardized physical examinations in mobile 

examination centers.

The NHANES sample is selected through a complex, multistage probability design. For 

survey period 2015–2016, non-Hispanic black, non-Hispanic Asian, and Hispanic persons 

were oversampled; for more information, visit the NHANES website (11). Non-Hispanic race 

categories reflect persons reporting only one race; non-Hispanic persons reporting more than one 

race are included in the total but are not reported separately. 

Interview weights were used to account for the differential probabilities of selection, nonresponse, 

and noncoverage. Taylor series linearization was used to compute variance estimates. Estimates 

for the population of all ages were age adjusted using the direct method to the projected 2000 

U.S. census population using age groups 0–11, 12–19, 20–59, and 60 and over. Pairwise 

differences between groups were tested using a univariate t statistic. Tests for linear trends by age 

and over time were evaluated using orthogonal polynomials. The significance level for statistical 

testing was set at p < 0.05. All differences reported are statistically significant unless otherwise 

indicated. Data management and statistical analyses were conducted using SAS System for 

Windows version 9.4 (SAS Institute, Inc., Cary, N.C.), SUDAAN version 11.0 (RTI International, 

Research Triangle Park, N.C.), and R version 3.5.2 (R Foundation for Statistical Computing).

About the authors

Crescent B. Martin, Craig M. Hales, Qiuping Gu, and Cynthia L. Ogden are with the National 

Center for Health Statistics, Division of Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys.
NCHS Data Brief ■ No. 334 ■ May 2019

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References

1. Kantor ED, Rehm CD, Haas JS, Chan AT, Giovannucci EL. Trends in prescription drug use 

among adults in the United States from 1999–2012. JAMA 314(17):1818–31. 2015.

2. Stone NJ, Robinson JG, Lichtenstein AH, Bairey Merz CN, Blum CB, Eckel RH, et al. 

2013 ACC/AHA guideline on the treatment of blood cholesterol to reduce atherosclerotic 

cardiovascular risk in adults: A report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart 

Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines. J Am Coll Cardiol 63(25 Pt B):2889–934. 2014.

3. Hales CM, Kit BK, Gu Q, Ogden CL. Trends in prescription medication use among children 

and adolescents—United States, 1999–2014. JAMA 319(19):2009–20. 2018.

4. Gu Q, Dillon CF, Burt VL. Prescription drug use continues to increase: U.S. prescription 

drug data for 2007–2008. NCHS Data Brief, no 42. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Heatlh 

Statistics. 2010.

5. Akinbami LJ, Simon AE, Rossen LM. Changing trends in asthma prevalence among children. 

Pediatrics 137(1). 2016.

6. Xu G, Strathearn L, Liu B, Yang B, Bao W. Twenty-year trends in diagnosed attention-deficit/

hyperactivity disorder among US children and adolescents, 1997–2016. JAMA Netw Open 

1(4):e181471. 2018.

7. Muntner P, Carey RM, Gidding S, Jones DW, Taler SJ, Wright JT, Whelton PK. Potential 

U.S. population impact of the 2017 ACC/AHA High Blood Pressure Guideline. J Am Coll 

Cardiol 71(2):109–18. 2018.

8. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Antibiotic prescribing and use. Available from: 

https://www.cdc.gov/antibiotic-use/.

9. Frenk SM, Kit BK, Lukacs SL, Hicks LA, Gu Q. Trends in the use of prescription antibiotics: 

NHANES 1999–2012. J Antimicrob Chemother 71(1):251–6. 2016.

10. National Center for Health Statistics. National Health and Nutrition Examination 

Survey 1988–2016 data documentation, codebook, and frequencies: Prescription 

medications–drug information (RXQ_DRUG). 2019. Available from: https://wwwn.cdc.gov/

Nchs/Nhanes/1999-2000/RXQ_DRUG.htm.

11. National Center for Health Statistics. NHANES questionnaires, datasets, and related 

documentation. 2019. Available from: https://wwwn.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes/Default.aspx.
NCHS Data Brief ■ No. 334 ■ May 2019

Keywords: medication • National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 

(NHANES)

Suggested citation

Martin CB, Hales CM, Gu Q, Ogden CL. 

Prescription drug use in the United States, 

2015–2016. NCHS Data Brief, no 334. 

Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health 

Statistics. 2019.

Copyright information

All material appearing in this report is in 

the public domain and may be reproduced 

or copied without permission; citation as to 

source, however, is appreciated.

National Center for Health 

Statistics

Jennifer H. Madans, Ph.D., Acting Director

Amy M. Branum, Ph.D., Acting Associate 

Director for Science

Division of Health and Nutrition 

Examination Surveys

Kathryn S. Porter, M.D., M.S., Director

Ryne Paulose-Ram, M.A., Ph.D., Associate 

Director for Science

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