-->Oct. 9, 2002 -- Are more children getting sick or are they bein
Oct. 9, 2002 -- Are more children getting sick or are they being treated more often? The question stems from data showing that spending on prescription drugs for children increased 85% in five years.
A report from Medco Health, the prescription benefits management company, concludes that patients under 19 are now the fastest growing group of prescription drug users. They take 34% more medication than they did before 1997, and costs of their drugs rise 28% per year. The report analyzes drug costs for Medco's 65 million members between 1997 and 2001.
Costs for medicine for asthma, allergies, and infections led the increases. The report found:
- Costs for heartburn and other gastrointestinal drugs soared 660%.
- Costs for asthma drugs rose 211%.
- Costs for ADHD drugs increased 122%.
- Costs for antibiotics rose 42% (but the number of prescriptions declined).
Medco says more than half of the spending increase is due to the actual price of drugs. But Robert Epstein, MD, chief medical officer for Medco Health, says "increased diagnosis rates and new medicines" also contributed. Some conditions, such as asthma, are being treated more aggressively, Epstein says in a news release. Though that leads to increased drug costs, it also results in fewer emergency room and doctors' office visits and less hospitalization.
Overall, patients under 19 account for only 5% of drug spending, and people over 65 take 12 more medications than younger people.
