All information in this publication refers to persons aged 45 years and over who had at least one general practitioner (GP) visit in the 12 months between November 2014 and November 2015.
The Survey of Health Care collected data on medication use as well as respondents' experience with health professionals while being on medication. Medications include all vitamins, pain killers and medications that respondents were taking on a regular and ongoing basis, whether or not they were recommended by a health professional.
Respondents were also asked about any tests, x-rays or scans they had in the last 12 months and whether they experienced any barriers to having these tests, x-rays or scans.
MEDICATIONS
Just over four in five people (82%) took at least one type of medication on a regular or ongoing basis. Around half (52%) reported taking one to four, 24% reported taking five to nine and 6% reported taking 10 or more different medications.
Generally, people aged 65 years and over were more likely to report taking five or more different medications than those aged 45 to 64 years. Those aged 65 years and over were more than twice as likely than those aged 45 to 64 years to report taking five to nine (36% compared with 16%) and more than three times as likely to report taking ten or more different medications (10% compared with 3%).
Footnote(s): (a) For persons aged 45 years and over who had at least one GP visit in the 12 months between November 2014 and November 2015
Source(s): Survey of Health Care: Summary of Findings
Just over three quarters (76%) of people indicated they were always or usually involved in making decisions about the best medications for their own health in the last 12 months, while 3% indicated they did not want to be involved. Those aged 45 to 64 years were more likely to indicate they were always or usually involved in making decisions about medications for their own health than those aged 65 years and over (79% compared with 73%). Women were more likely than men to indicate being always or usually involved in making decisions about their medications for their own health (79% compared with 73%).
Seven in ten people (72%) indicated that a health professional reviewed all medications taken by them in the last 12 months. Those aged 65 years and over were more likely than those aged 45 to 64 years to indicate that their medications were reviewed by a health professional (76% compared with 68%). An additional 5% of people did not know whether a health professional reviewed all medications taken by them in the last 12 months.
In the last 12 months, one in 25 people (4%) reported that they had been given a wrong medication or wrong dose by a doctor, nurse or pharmacist.
TESTS, X-RAYS AND SCANS
Seven in ten people (71%) had a test, x-ray or scan in the last 12 months. Of these, about nine in ten (89%) indicated that their results were always available at their scheduled health care appointment.
The majority (91%) of people indicated that they had all the tests, x-rays or scans that were ordered for them in the last 12 months. Those aged 45 to 64 years were more than three times as likely as those aged 65 years and over to have reported a time when they did not have a test, x-ray or scan when it was ordered (10% compared with 3%). Women were also more likely than men to have reported a time when they did not have a test, x-ray or scan when it was ordered (9% compared with 6%).
Just over one quarter (27%) indicated that cost was the reason why they did not have a test, x-ray or scan when it was ordered in the last 12 months. Those aged 45 to 64 years were more likely to have indicated cost as a reason than those aged 65 years and over (28% compared with 18%).
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