The 10 Most Medicated States in America

Where you live has an impact on what’s in your medicine cabinet.

Forbes | Aug 11, 2008

by Allison Van Dusen

You probably never stopped to think if where you live has anything to do with the number of prescription medications you’re taking. But if you live in the American South, chances are you take more medications than you would if you lived on the other side of the Mason-Dixon Line.

In fact, when it comes to residents popping the largest numbers of pills, Southern states beat the average by a long shot. States filled an average 11.1 retail prescriptions per capita in 2006, according to the latest figures compiled by the non-profit Kaiser Family Foundation’s statehealthfacts.org and Vector One: National, data provider Verispan’s national-level prescription and patient tracking service.

Well above that average is West Virginia, which came in first with 17.2 retail prescriptions filled per capita, followed by Missouri, 15.9; Tennessee, 15.8; Alabama, 15.7; and Kentucky, 15.4.

At the bottom of the list were Alaska, 6.5; California, 7.4; and Hawaii, 7.7.

Behind The Numbers

Verispan collected the 2006 data from a panel of retail pharmacies (including independent and chain pharmacies, food stores and mass merchandisers found in more than 800 regional zones), third-party payers and other data providers. Prescriptions may have been new or refills of both brand name and generic drugs. The numbers exclude mail-order purchases, which have been reported to make up just under 7% of total prescriptions filled in 2006.

While it may seem strange that states and regions have such disparities in terms of their residents’ use of prescription drugs, other research bears out similar findings. Studies in 2000 and 2006, conducted by pharmacy benefit manager Express Scripts on millions of patients enrolled in a commercial plan, show that Kentucky and Louisiana were among the top five states in both years with the highest overall prevalence of seven major drug therapy classes, including anti-hyperlipidemics (drugs that lower lipid levels in the blood), anti-diabetics, anti-hypertensives, gastrointestinal medications, antidepressants, analgesics/anti-inflamatories and estrogen.

West Virginia, Tennessee, Alabama and Mississippi also commonly appeared among the top five states with the highest usages of these types of drugs in 2006.

The trend does not come without a price tag. Express Script’s research suggests that many Southern states, where prevalence of certain prescription drugs and prevalence increases were often greater, had spending increases of up to $200 per commercially insured resident.

Those costs affect businesses that subsidize health care, not to mention the individuals battling the health problems that drive their needs for prescription meds.

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