Table 3: Top 10 medications dispensed to older adults by nurse practitioners (NPs) and family physicians (FPs) in 2000, 2005 and 2010.
| Rank | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NP (%) | FP (%) | NP (%) | FP (%) | NP (%) | FP (%) | |||||||||
| 1 | Sulf/tmp* | (22.8) | ACEI* | (6.1) | Fungicides* | (9.6) | Diuretics† | (6.7) | Statins† | (9.2) | Statins† | (7.4) | ||
| 2 | Penicillins* | (12.3) | Benzodiazepine derivatives* | (6.0) | Nonsystemic corticosteroids* | (7.7) | ACEIs† | (6.5) | ACEIs† | (6.5) | PPIs† | (5.6) | ||
| 3 | Nonsystemic corticosteroids* | (11.1) | Diuretics* | (5.5) | Laxatives* | (6.8) | Statins† | (5.9) | Diuretics† | (6.4) | Diuretics† | (5.6) | ||
| 4 | NSAIDs* | (7.7) | CCBs* | (4.9) | Diuretics* | (5.1) | CCBs† | (4.9) | PPIs† | (5.2) | ACEIs† | (5.2) | ||
| 5 | Fungicides* | (7.1) | Beta-blockers* | (4.0) | Miscellaneous local anti-infectives* | (5.1) | Beta-blockers† | (4.8) | Beta-blockers† | (4.8) | CCBs† | (4.7) | ||
| 6 | Antibiotics* | (5.5) | Statins* | (3.8) | Macrolides* | (5.0) | PPIs† | (4.4) | CCBs† | (4.7) | Beta-blockers† | (4.7) | ||
| 7 | Urinary anti-infectives* | (5.2) | NSAIDs† | (3.7) | Analgesics, simple† | (3.8) | Benzodiazepine derivatives† | (4.2) | OHAs† | (4.6) | OHAs† | (4.2) | ||
| 8 | Laxatives* | (4.0) | OHAs† | (3.6) | ACEIs† | (3.8) | OHAs† | (3.9) | Antithyroids, hypothyroidism† | (3.4) | Antithyroids, hypothyroidism† | (3.2) | ||
| 9 | Analgesics, simple† | (3.4) | Histamine H2 receptor antagonists* | (3.5) | Sulf/tmp* | (3.7) | Antithyroids, hypothyroidism* | (3.3) | Laxatives* | (3.0) | Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors* | (3.1) | ||
| 10 | Metronidazole* | (3.1) | Narcotics, opiate agonists† | (3.3) | Stool softeners† | (3.5) | Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors† | (2.9) | Bisphosphonates† | (3.0) | Benzodiazepine derivatives† | (3.0) | ||
| % of all pre-scriptions | 82 | 45 | 54 | 48 | 51 | 47 | ||||||||
Note: ACEI = angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors; CCB = calcium-channel blockers; FP = family physician; NP = nurse practitioner; NSAID = nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; OHA = oral antiglycemics; PPI = proton pump inhibitors; sulf/tmp = sulfonamides, trimethoprim and combination. *Medication for acute conditions. †Medication for chronic conditions.