Adults in U.S. and Canada share similarities in how they use prescription drugs

New CDC data finds that American and Canadian adults aged 40-79 use prescription drugs in similar ways. The report comes as the U.S. considers a plan to import medicines from an already overburdenedsystem in Canada. Here’s more from the report: 

• Overall trends: In both countries, nearly 7 in 10 adults report using at least one prescription drug in the month before being surveyed, while about 20% say they used five or more drugs. 
• By drug type: Cholesterol-lowering drugs were the most popular among older adults. Canadian adults aged 40-59 used pain relievers most often while antidepressants were the most commonly used among American adults in the same age group. 
• By sex: Some 70% of women in both countries report taking at least one prescription drug, compared to around 60% of men.