Government records show over the last 10 years the percentage of Americans who have taken at least one prescription drug in the past month increased from 44 percent to 48 percent. That's according to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
They survey also found that 20 percent of children and 90 percent of adults ages 60 and older reported using at least one prescription drug in the past month.
The most commonly used types of drug in 2007 - 2008 included cholesterol lowering drugs, or statins, for older people, asthma medicines for children, antidepressants for middle-aged adults and central nervous stimulants for adolescents.
The study also found that women were more likely than men to use prescription drugs.
