Industries with more claims for sleep medications
November 22, 2023
For business owners, plan sponsors and administrators
Medications for sleep might be prescribed by physicians to help individuals manage a sleep disorder with symptoms related to falling asleep and staying asleep.1 These medications can help people stay asleep if they’re prone to waking up in the night.1 There are different types of medications for sleep and they each work differently.1
According to Manulife aggregate drug claims data, businesses in the agriculture, mining, and construction industries see more unique claimants for sleep-related medications.2 In this grouping of industries, 5.6% of unique claimants are using these types of medications.2 Government, schools, and hospitals rank second for the number of unique claimants for these medications.2
| Industry | Employee unique claimants with sedative/hypnotic drug claims by industry, Oct 1, 2022 to Sept 30,2023 |
|---|---|
| Agriculture, mining, & construction | 5.60% |
| Government, schools, & hospitals | 5% |
| Financial services | 4.90% |
| Transportation, communication, & utilities | 4.70% |
| Manufacturing | 4.60% |
| Wholesale & retail trade | 4.20% |
| Consumer and repair services | 3.70% |
Source: Manulife aggregate drug claims data, October 1, 2022 to September 30, 2023
Workers in some of these industries, such as agriculture, construction, and healthcare can have irregular schedules or might be required to work in shifts through the night.3 To manage potential sleep difficulties, workers in these industries may be prescribed medication for sleep, such as sedatives or hypnotics.3
“These numbers likely underestimate the amount of people taking medications for sleep,” says Alex Carducci, pharmacist, and Product Director, Health & Wellness, Manulife. “Many people do not seek medical attention for their sleep issues and prefer to self-treat with over-the-counter medications.”
WATCH: The underestimated impact of poor sleep
Alex Carducci, pharmacist and Product Director, Health and Wellness, Manulife, explains why medications for sleep are likely underestimated in the Manulife drug claims data.
Whatever they’re doing to manage their sleep difficulties, if your employees still aren’t getting enough sleep, it could be impacting your bottom line.4 It’s estimated that insufficient sleep had a financial cost of $502 million in Canada in 2020.4
So, what can you do about it? Prioritizing employee sleep could be one way to potentially reduce absenteeism, improve productivity, and overall health and well-being.4
The power of rest:
A special report on employee sleep
Sources:
1 https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/drugs/15308-sleeping-pills, 2021
2 Manulife aggregate drug claims data, 2023
3 https://www.uclahealth.org/medical-services/sleep-disorders/patient-resources/patient-education/coping-with-shift-work, 2023
4 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35400617/#:~:text=Results%3A%20The%20estimated%20direct%2C%20indirect,(estimated%20at%20%24102%20billion), 2022
