Forty-six percent of Bowdoin students take a prescription medication, according to Director of Health Services Dr. Jeff Benson. This figure is similar to the national percentage of all Americans taking one or more prescription'44 percent?according to a government report released in December.
Slightly more than 34 percent of Americans between the ages of 18 and 44 are on medications. Nearly 17 percent of Americans of all ages take at least three prescription drugs.
These figures did not surprise Benson.
"In this era of managed care, increasing patient 'consumer' self-advocacy and aggressive drug company marketing, increasing numbers of Americans are prescribed increasing numbers of medications," he said. "I would have expected the numbers to be even higher."
The report revealed that most of the medications are used to treat diabetes, depression, high cholesterol, and to lower risk of heart disease.
Also, 49 percent of American women take prescription medications, while 39 percent of men do.
At Bowdoin, 48 percent of women at Bowdoin are taking hormonal contraceptives, making these medications the most heavily used by Bowdoin students, according to Benson.
Psychotropic medicines such as those to treat depression make up 22 percent of the medications taken by Bowdoin students. Sixteen percent of the student body takes these drugs.
Allergy medications account for 20 percent of the most used prescriptions with 14 percent of the student body on these drugs. Stimulants like those to treat Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) make up three percent of the usage with two percent of the student body taking these drugs.
"Bowdoin students, on the whole, are a pretty healthy group of people," said Benson.
However, the statistics the health center provides only show those that are self-reported by students and those that have been prescribed by the college health center. Moreover, there are some students who do not report their prescription use.
"I'm not surprised by these figures," said Kelsey Killmon '08. "I myself take two daily prescriptions and just finished another medication I was on for a cold. I feel as though more young Americans take prescriptions drugs daily than is let on. I know of many individuals who take anti-depressants or allergy medication."
The Dudley Coe Health Center holds an in-house formulary where health administrators distribute around 35 of the most commonly used prescriptions free-of-charge.
"Students generally learn of their possible need for medication either because they have symptoms for which they seek evaluation, or because their problems are picked up on a routine screening exam," Benson said.
Dudley Coe employees examine students' conditions and determine whether they would benefit from prescription medications. If it is determined that the student should be on medication, then "prescriptions are readily available," Benson said.
"I find that Dudley Coe is helpful and the only real trouble I run into is when the hospital does not deliver the medicines when I call in and I have to miss a day or two waiting for the medicines to arrive," said Killmon.
Students needing psychotropic medications and stimulants receive new prescriptions only after close evaluation, officials say.
According to Bernie Hershberger, Interim Director of the College Counseling Center, students feeling they need a prescription medication to treat depression and other psychological disorders would first contact the center and make an intake or assessment appointment to review their problem.
"Students are rarely automatically referred for a psychiatric consultation for medication, unless they have very severe symptoms of depression or anxiety. If a student is evaluated at a later point by a psychiatrist, perhaps after several meetings with a clinician, then the student and her or his physician discuss the merits and benefits of utilizing a psychotropic medication," Hershberger said.
If the student receives the medication, the counseling center closely monitors the student's response to it. This student will be seen within a week or two after receiving the medication. In addition, students are given their doctor's phone numbers so that they may contact them at any time.
"For ADD, students are first evaluated and started on treatment by the consulting psychiatrists at the Counseling Service, and then, when on a stable regimen, those prescriptions can be transferred over to the Health Center," Benson said.
The Counseling Service has a number of staff members to help students treat depression, ADD, other disorders, and also the daily stress of life. The staff includes a two part-time consulting psychiatrists, a psychologist, four master's level therapists, a doctoral intern in clinical psychology, a full-time administrative secretary, and Hershberger, the Interim Director.
The Counseling Service also has programs that offer an alternative to medication for anxiety and depression. These include yoga, Tai Chi, meditation, and other programs that were started five to six years ago, according to Hershberger.
"The Counseling Service strongly encourages students to develop personal resources for managing problems and concerns. Toward this end, we also encourage exercise, good nutrition and positive sleep habits, and also fully support students in developing well-balanced lives in the midst of their often challenging pressures and demands," Hershberger said.
Students can receive medications for depression at either the health center or the counseling center. Other prescriptions are given after evaluation from one of the health care providers at Dudley Coe.