Information: Prescription Drugs-Related Hospital Admissions on the Increase
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Information-Prescription Drugs: The number of Americans being admitted into hospital due to drug-related conditions has increased, specifically among patients aged 45 and older. According to figures revealed by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), between 1997 and 2008 the number of admissions medication-related doubled.
The report shows that admissions due to taking illicit drugs, over-the-counter medications and prescriptions increased dramatically among patients over the age of 45, amounting to 117% more drug-related admissions among the 45-64 age range recorded during the last ten years.
Hospitals experienced an increase of 96% for patients aged between 65-84 years old, and an increase of 87% for people aged 85 and above. Interestingly, admissions among the 18-44 year-olds actually reduced by 11%.
Information: Prescription Drugs Facts and Figures
According to the AHRQ, the increase in drug prescription-related admissions stems from a rise in drug-induced delirium, withdrawal from medication or narcotics, and overdoses caused by opiate-based prescriptions. The figures show that in 2008 alone, opiate-based overdoses and drug-induced delirium accounted for 60% of drug-related patient admissions among 65-84 year-olds, and 78% among those aged 85 and above.
The information on prescription drugs also revealed that Medicaid and Medicare covered over 50% of the total $1.1 billion in costs hospitals incurred in 2009 as a result of treating patients admitted due to prescription drug-related conditions.
Moreover, the cost of a 2008 patient admission prompted by a drug-related episode, cost the hospital on average $4,900. The figure is significant when compared to the average cost of all hospital stays, which amounted to $6,700 during the same year.
The total cost of drug-related admissions in 2008 amounted to $2.4 billion (around 1% of the total hospital costs for the year).
