A new study has stated that prescription drug use in the US decreased last year.
Wired PR News – The use of prescription drugs in the United States reportedly decreased last year. As reported by the Associated Press (AP), a study by Medco Health Solutions stated that spending on prescription drugs rose due to higher pricing, particularly on brand name prescriptions; however, use of these types of medications was shown to have fallen.
The overall decrease in prescription drug use was said to be the first in 10 years. Major reasons provided for the decline include the low number of new drugs launched in 2008, some drugs becoming available without a prescription, and safety issues of some medications.
As noted by the AP, Medco Health Solutions is a manager of pharmacy benefits, which is said to handle benefits for approximately 60 million people.
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