Americans made 823 million doctor visits in 2000, report says

ATLANTA - Americans made more than 823 million visits to the doctor in 2000, a figure that is steadily rising as baby boomers age and the general population swells, the government said Wednesday. <br> <br> The figure was up about 9 percent from 1999, according to the National Center for Health Statistics, which compiles the report each year. <br> <br> High blood pressure was the most frequent diagnosis in office visits, followed by upper respiratory infections. Visits for diabetes are also on the rise, a trend health officials have tied to a more obese and less active population. <br> <br> In about two-thirds of doctor visits in 2000, the patient was prescribed at least one drug, and a total of 1.3 billion drugs were prescribed in all, the center said. <br> <br> The most frequently prescribed drug was Claritin, the popular anti-allergy medication made by Schering-Plough Corp., followed by Pfizer&#39;s cholesterol-lowering drug Lipitor. <br> <br> The NCHS report also made note of a steady increase in the number of drugs prescribed, citing health-minded baby boomers and the growing population of seniors who have chronic conditions that need a variety of medications. <br> <br> Prescriptions of heart and kidney drugs, hormones and nutrient supplements all have increased more than 20 percent over the past several years, the NCHS report said.