THE USE OF MEDICATION BY THE SPANISH POPULATION

The aim of the study was to assess patterns of the use of medicines by the general population older than 0 years. The study was based on the information contained in the computerized database from the 1993 Span ish Household Health Survey. A representative sample of the population older than 0 was identified, and a survey of 26,334 persons was carri ed out. Of the population 45.3% had taken some medicine in the last 2 weeks prior to the carrying out of the survey. The proportion was grea ter for women (50.6%) than for men (39.6%). With increasing age, the f requency and amount of medication use increased, A little over 20% of the medicines used were not prescribed by a doctor (self-medication). Data show the frequency of the use of medicines by the Spanish populat ion. (C) 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.