Drug use among seniors in Canada

October 20, 2022 — On average, seniors use more drugs than any other age group in Canada. This release describes the number and most common types of drugs prescribed to seniors (including those living in long-term care settings) between 2017 and 2021 by sex, age, neighbourhood income and geographic location.

Key findings

  • Drugs to treat cardiovascular disease accounted for 5 of the 7 top drug classes prescribed to seniors in 2021.
  • Drugs to treat diabetes saw the largest increase in use among seniors between 2017 and 2021, increasing from 20.1% to 21.4% (representing 220,000 seniors).
  • The use of antidepressants reached 23.4% in 2021 compared with 22.3% in 2019. This represents approximately 140,000 more seniors being prescribed an antidepressant since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • In 2021, seniors living in a long-term care setting were 3 times more likely to be prescribed an antidepressant or benzodiazepine, and 8 times more likely to be prescribed an antipsychotic, compared with seniors living in the community.
  • The average number of drugs prescribed to seniors decreased in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic (from 2019 to 2020) while the number of drugs prescribed for chronic conditions remained stable.
  • The prescribing of antibiotics has decreased since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, from 38.6% prior to the pandemic to 30.5% in 2021 (representing 380,000 fewer seniors prescribed antibiotics).

Featured material

Snapshot

Read about key findings on drug use among seniors in Canada over the last 5 years, including drug use among seniors living in long-term care settings.

View snapshot

Data tables

These data tables show the number and most common drugs prescribed to seniors in Canada between 2017 and 2021.

Download data tables (XLSX)

 

How to cite:

Canadian Institute for Health Information. Drug use among seniors in Canada. Accessed March 19, 2024.

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