American appetite for prescription drugs soars
We have become a pill popping nation. Billions of dollars are spent by Big Pharma every year in Direct to Consumer advertising (DTC) and even more is spent wooing doctors to prescribe more and more pharmaceutical products. So, it comes as no surprise that the U.S.A. leads the world in its' consumption of prescription drugs.
A recent press release issued by IMS Health (a pharmaceutical industry consulting organization), revealed that in 2011 it expects Americans to spend between $320-330 billion (YES that is a B not an M) on prescription drugs.
Why do Americans spend more on prescription drugs than the citizens of other countries? In my personal opinion, it is because the slick marketing machines of Big Pharma have convinced us that we NEED drugs to improve our health and our quality of life. DTC marketing has led some patients to self-diagnose and actually request prescriptions by name brand from their physicians.
Of course, I concede that there are many good drugs on the market that are medically necessary and that actually do cure illnesses, or at least improve the quality of life for some patients. However, our nation's addiction to prescription drugs is out of control.
Part of the problem rests with doctors who are under more and more pressure to prescribe drugs. It has been estimated that there is one drug salesperson for every six doctors in America, and each of them are armed with cash, gifts, and perks.
The time has come for consumers to take the reins and educate themselves about the drugs they are being prescribed. I will be writing more about particular drugs that are of current concern and I will also be providing resources to consumer advocacy groups and watchdog organizations that track prescription drugs.
