CHPA - Consumer Healthcare Products Association Inc.

02/17/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 02/18/2026 09:33

Medication Use Among U.S. Adults: Key Findings from a New National Study

Source: Prevalence of Prescription and Over-the-Counter Medication Use Among U.S. Adults (Green et al., 2026, JAMA Network Open)

Study at a Glance

  • Design: Nationally representative online survey
  • Sample: 21,000 U.S. adults aged 18 and older
  • Data collection: June 2023 - April 2024
  • Key measure: Self-reported use of prescription and/or over-the-counter (OTC) medicines in the past seven days
  • Exclusions: Vitamins, dietary supplements, and topical medications

Context: Most medication studies rely on prescriptions written or products sold. This study captures what people report actually using in daily life.

Overall Medication Use

  • 62.3% of U.S. adults reported using at least one prescription or OTC medication in the past 7 days
  • Medication use increased with age, particularly for prescription medicines

OTC vs. Prescription Use

  • 46.0% reported using at least one OTC medication
  • 46.3% reported using at least one prescription medication

Note: OTC and prescription medicines were used at nearly identical rates, underscoring the role of both self-care and clinician-directed treatment in everyday health management.

Differences by Sex

  • Medication use was higher among women (66.6%) than men (57.3%)
  • Age-related patterns of use were similar for both groups

Most Commonly Used Medicines (Past Seven Days)

Top three medicines (unchanged from 25 years ago):

  1. Acetaminophen (29.4%)
  2. Ibuprofen (22.3%)
  3. Aspirin (15.8%)
  • Six of the top 10 medicines were available over the counter
  • Commonly used prescription medicines included treatments for chronic conditions such as high cholesterol, blood pressure, and thyroid disorders

Rank

Medication

Total N=21,000 (%)

Male n=9,829 (%)

Female n=11,171 (%)

1

Acetaminophen

6184 (29.4)

2452 (24.9)

3732 (33.4)

2

Ibuprofen

4693 (22.3)

1889 (19.2)

2804 (25.1)

3

Aspirin

3323 (15.8)

1705 (17.3)

1618 (14.5)

4

Naproxen

1454 (6.9)

652 (6.6)

802 (7.2)

5

Atorvastatin

1342 (6.4)

745 (7.6)

597 (5.3)

6

Lisinopril

1163 (5.5)

633 (6.4)

530 (4.7)

7

Levothyroxine

1086 (5.2)

251 (2.6)

835 (7.5)

8

Diphenhydramine

1082 (5.2)

399 (4.1)

683 (6.1)

9

Omeprazole

969 (4.6)

432 (4.4)

537 (4.8)

10

Amlodipine

965 (4.6)

487 (5.0)

478 (4.3)

11

Metformin

934 (4.4)

501 (5.1)

433 (3.9)

12

Caffeine

928 (4.4)

364 (3.7)

564 (5.0)

13

Cetirizine

833 (4.0)

319 (3.2)

514 (4.6)

14

Hydrochlorothiazide

828 (3.9)

367 (3.7)

461 (4.1)

15

Losartan

813 (3.9)

378 (3.8)

435 (3.9)

16

Metoprolol

756 (3.6)

369 (3.8)

387 (3.5)

17

Loratadine

606 (2.9)

237 (2.4)

369 (3.3)

18

Rosuvastatin

542 (2.6)

273 (2.8)

269 (2.4)

19

Fluticasone

534 (2.5)

216 (2.2)

318 (2.8)

20

Sertraline

524 (2.5)

156 (1.6)

368 (3.3)

Source: Green, et al (2026), Table 3

Rx-to-OTC Switch

Four of the 10 most commonly used medicines were once prescription-only and later became available OTC following FDA review:

  • Ibuprofen
  • Naproxen
  • Diphenhydramine
  • Omeprazole

These findings illustrate that medicines that move through the Rx-to-OTC pathway are widely used once made available for self-care.

How to Interpret These Findings

  • The study is descriptive, not evaluative
  • It documents how often medicines are used, not:
    • whether use is appropriate
    • whether medicines replace clinical care
    • effects on costs, access, or outcomes

Note: The data provide context for understanding real-world medication use and for informing future research, regulatory review, and health policy discussions.

For More Information

CHPA - Consumer Healthcare Products Association Inc. published this content on February 17, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on February 18, 2026 at 15:34 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]