Two Out Of Three Americans Now Take Medication Every Week

Walk into any workplace, coffee shop, or family gathering and look around. Two out of every three people there took medication in the past week. A new nationwide survey of 21,000 Americans reveals that 62% of adults reported using at least one pill in the previous seven days, which works out to well over 100 million people nationwide.

Even more startling, one in six Americans is juggling five or more medications weekly. About 3% of participants reported taking 10 or more different medications in just seven days. Medication use cuts across age groups, starting as early as middle age and climbing steadily. Older adults are most likely to take medications, but even among adults ages 18 to 44, about half reported taking at least one medication in the past week.

Women use medication at higher rates than men: 67% compared to 57%. Interestingly, past-week use of over-the-counter medications (46%) was nearly identical to prescription use (46%).

Pain Relievers Dominate American Medication Use

Acetaminophen topped the list. Roughly 3 in 10 people took it during the week researchers asked about. Ibuprofen came in second, aspirin third. These same three medications held the top spots 25 years ago when researchers last conducted a similar nationwide survey.

But usage has climbed, according to the survey published in JAMA Network Open. Acetaminophen jumped from 23% to 29%. Ibuprofen rose from 17% to 22%. Only aspirin dipped slightly as doctors became more cautious about recommending it for heart health.

Beyond pain relievers, prescription drug use tells a different story. Atorvastatin, the cholesterol-lowering drug sold as Lipitor, ranked fifth. Blood pressure medications lisinopril and amlodipine cracked the top 10. Levothyroxine for thyroid conditions ranked seventh.

Many of these prescription drugs barely registered in surveys from the late 1990s. Their rise comes from an aging population and changes in medical practice that increasingly treat conditions with medication as first-line therapy. Someone taking five medications might be on atorvastatin for cholesterol, lisinopril for blood pressure, metformin for diabetes, levothyroxine for thyroid function, and a daily aspirin. Throw in acetaminophen for arthritis pain, and that’s six pills before breakfast.

When Prescriptions Become Over-the-Counter

Several medications that once required doctor visits now sit on drugstore shelves. Omeprazole for heartburn, cetirizine for allergies, loratadine for seasonal sniffles, fluticasone nasal spray: all made the switch from prescription-only to over-the-counter between the late 1990s and today.

Usage spiked when that happened. Omeprazole jumped from the 22nd most common medication to ninth place. Cetirizine wasn’t even ranked 25 years ago but now sits at 13th. When medications become easier to access, more people use them. No appointment required, no insurance hassle.

Not all medications saw increases. Pseudoephedrine, once the fourth most common medication, plummeted to 34th place after federal legislation in 2005 moved it behind pharmacy counters and imposed purchase limits. The ingredient was being used in illegal methamphetamine production.

Hormone replacement therapies crashed, too. Conjugated estrogens fell from fifth place to 192nd following years of changing guidance and concerns about long-term risks.

For the 8% of Americans without health insurance and another 36% relying on public programs like Medicare or Medicaid, over-the-counter medications offer an affordable option. Prescription medications cost more and require doctor visits. Americans spent an estimated $44 billion on OTC medications in 2024, while prescription drug costs exceeded $463 billion.

How American Medication Use Changed in 25 Years

Acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and aspirin held their positions as the three most common medications across a quarter-century. But nearly everything else shifted.

Medications available only as expensive branded products in the late 1990s are now available as low-cost generics and have shown substantial increases. Atorvastatin, levothyroxine, amlodipine, and losartan all climbed in the rankings once generic versions hit the market. Generic availability reduces costs and increases medication use.

Some medications vanished entirely. Phenylpropanolamine was pulled from the market in 2005 after links to increased stroke risk. Ranitidine was removed from shelves in 2020 due to contamination concerns with a probable carcinogen.

The medication landscape shifts constantly, with new drugs emerging and old ones disappearing based on safety concerns and evolving medical understanding. More people take medication now than 25 years ago. More people take multiple medications. And more conditions are routinely treated with medication today than they were a generation ago. Two out of three Americans now consider medication a routine part of their week, and for millions, that means managing a handful of pills as part of everyday life.

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Disclaimer: The study was funded by the Consumer Healthcare Products Association, an industry trade group representing over-the-counter medication manufacturers. This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting, stopping, or changing any medication regimen.

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