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West Virginia surpasses Tennessee in per capita prescription drug use
HUNTINGTON -- West Virginia leads the nation in prescription drug use, according to a report by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee.
The report uses data from drug company Novartis' most recent Pharmacy Benefit Report, but some local pharmacists aren't convinced.
The report indicates West Virginia took the lead with 17.4 prescriptions per capita in 2006, compared with 16.9 prescriptions per person in Tennessee.
Joe McGlothlin, pharmacist and owner at The Medicine Shoppe on Adams Avenue, had not seen the report but said the numbers surprise him.
"I'm not seeing that here," he said. "It's rare to see even one patient with 17 prescriptions."
McGlothlin said most people he sees receive seven to eight prescriptions at most. Many people are just on one or two medications, he said.
At Cabell Huntington Hospital, critical care pharmacist Janet Wolcott also said 17 seems like a high number.
She said the report was interesting, but possibly questionable since it came from one insurance provider.
Wolcott said she doesn't know of any increase in the number of prescriptions people are using locally.
She also said one reason West Virginia's rate may be higher is because of the health issues faced by more individuals in this state.
The national average was 11.8 prescriptions per capita in 2006, the Blue Cross report showed. Tennessee's rates dropped from 18.1 prescriptions in 2004, according to The Associated Press.
The study also showed that growth in average per capita spending on prescriptions in Tennessee increased by 7.2 percent in 2006 to $1,272.94, while national spending grew 18.8 percent to $948.72.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
