Chronic constipation is very common. The most recent estimate of clinician visits attributable to constipation were from 2001 to 2004 and reported more than 8 million clinician visits in the United States, with most occurring in adult primary care settings (33%) followed by pediatric (21%) and gastroenterologist (14%) offices.1 These encounters result in large expenditures for nonprescription laxatives and other bowel movement aids, such as enemas and suppositories.