One in every four adults is taking medication prescribed by their doctor, a new survey has found.
Research carried out by Millward Brown IMS on behalf of the Women’s Health Council, an advisory body to the Minister for Health & Children, indicates that 26 per cent of adults are taking prescribed medication.
The survey found the use of prescribed medication to be higher among women than men and, as would be expected, is more prevalent in the older age groups, particularly those aged over 65.
Overall, women from poorer socio-economic groups were most likely to be taking prescribed medication.
Those in the least well-off social class grouping were also more likely to be taking prescribed medication than other groups, according to the survey results.
According to the study, 31 per cent of adults said they were taking medication to treat a chronic physical condition, while 12 per cent reported using medication for an acute physical condition.
Seven per cent of respondents said they were taking medication for a long-term mental health condition, with women more than twice as likely as men to mention mental health as the reason for their use of such medication.
Medical card holders were more likely to be taking prescribed medication, and Irish nationals were twice as likely to be using medication compared to those in minority ethnic groups.
In total, 989 people participated in the Women’s Health Council survey.
