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The Largest Increases in the Use of Prescription Sleeping Aids Are Among Younger Adults and School-Age Children
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(OPEN):
FOR MANY AMERICANS, A GOOD NIGHT'S SLEEP IS JUST A PILLOW AWAY.
BUT, THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE--INCLUDING CHILDREN--WHO FIND THEMSELVES
TOSSING AND TURNING THE NIGHT AWAY IS INCREASING. A NATIONWIDE
ANALYSIS RELEASED MONDAY [OCTOBER 17TH] BY MEDCO HEALTH
SOLUTIONS FINDS THAT THE MOST-DRAMATIC INCREASES IN THE USE OF
PRESCRIPTION SLEEPING AIDS ARE AMONG YOUNGER ADULTS AND SCHOOL-AGE
CHILDREN. DOCTOR ROBERT EPSTEIN [LIKE "STINE"]--CHIEF
MEDICAL OFFICER FOR MEDCO--EXPLAINS...
(EPSTEIN):
"ALTHOUGH THE ELDERLY ARE STILL THE MOST-FREQUENT
USERS OF SLEEPING AIDS, THE EVIDENCE FOUND IN OUR STUDY SHOWS THAT
YOUNGER ADULTS AND CHILDREN ARE STARTING TO USE THESE MEDICATIONS WITH
EVEN-GREATER FREQUENCY. WITH SEVERAL NEW MEDICATIONS THAT TREAT
SLEEP DISORDERS COMING TO THE MARKETPLACE IN THE NEXT THREE YEARS, WE
ANTICIPATE THAT THIS TREND WILL CONTINUE TO ACCELERATE."
(CLOSE):
THE ANALYSIS REVIEWED PRESCRIPTION-DRUG CLAIMS OF 2.4-MILLION
AMERICANS BETWEEN 2000 AND 2004. A SUPPLEMENTAL ANALYSIS OF THE
SAME PATIENTS LOOKED AT THE CONCURRENT USE OF BOTH PRESCRIPTION
SLEEPING-AID MEDICATION AND DRUGS USED TO TREAT
"ATTENTION-DEFICIT/HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER"--A-D-H-D. CHILDREN 10
THROUGH 19 HAD THE HIGHEST DUAL-USAGE RATE OF THESE TWO DRUG THERAPIES,
AT 15-PERCENT--FOLLOWED BY 20- THROUGH 44-YEAR-OLDS, AT JUST ABOUT
FOUR-PERCENT. FOR MORE INFORMATION, LOG ONTO
W-W-W-DOT-"MEDCO"-DOT-COM.
