The word overmedicated elicits a negative thought towards a medication, conversely, effectively medicated brings a positive feeling about a medication. Moreover, it can be derived from the statement – Americans are overmedicated – many medications that are not doing their prescribed job are being issued. Conversely, if Americans were effectively medicated, it can be assumed the medications are doing the job they were developed for. This is the question that needs answered, is American overmedicated or is it effectively medicated? When compared to the dollars spent on health care the US has the worst mortality rate of all comparable countries (Lavigne 1414). Prescription drugs do have a benefit, but is it 4.5 billion prescriptions effective? …show more content…
According to Consumer Report in September, 55 percent of Americans took at least one prescription drug (Carr, Rabkin, and Skinner 27). Interestingly, in 2008 it was only 48 percent; a breakdown of age groups showed 90 percent of adults at least 60 years old and 20 percent of children were taking at least one prescription drug and ten percent over all age groups were taking at least five prescription drugs (Qiuping, Dillon and Burt 6). That is over 300,000 additional people with prescription each year. Furthermore, many new drugs being prescribed in the United States are no more effective than the cheaper predecessor; these new drugs just cost more (Abramson). If the new drugs that are predominately being prescribed are no more effective and the cost has increased, it can only be assumed Americans are
Sexual thoughts pop in and out of most people’s mind, but especially teenagers, and there’s nothing they can do about it. It is normal for teenage boys and girls to experience this, more than ever when they are hitting puberty. The hormones in the body begin to act up and teenagers want to experience other things on their own. Males begin to grow pubic and facial hairs, and their voice starts to deepen, while girls’ breasts begin to develop and their body begins to take shape. After hitting puberty, teenagers are now at the point where they want to experience things. ‚Don’t go out there and get pregnant‛ a mother
Pennies should not be made anymore. The penny costs more to make then they are worth. It’s not worth carrying around, it’s to bulky. The penny could round prices down.
The rise in costs of prescription medicines affects all sectors of the health care industry, including private insurers, public programs, and patients. Spending on prescription drugs continues to be an important health care concern, particularly in light of rising pharmaceutical costs, the aging population, and increased use of costly specialty drugs. In recent history, increases in prescription drug costs have outpaced other categories of health care spending, rising rapidly throughout the latter half of the 1990s and early 2000s. (Kaiseredu.org, 2012).
In the modern age of technological and medical advancements such as organ transplants and robotic limbs, Americans have developed unrealistic expectations about prescription drugs. The false belief that the right pill in the right dosage can cure all has led to a national epidemic: over prescription. Since the 1970s, the average American’s expenditure on prescription drugs has doubled because not only are new treatments for almost every ailment now available, but they are also aggressively advertised on television, the internet, and social media. At the same time that the American population confronts health issues associated with rising age, obesity, and stress levels, prescription drugs promise a quick fix for everything from depression to acne to insomnia leading to a one pill fix all.
In recent years, studies have shown that over medication has become prevalent in America. Overmedication is when a patient uses unnecessary or excessive amounts of medication. Unfortunately, a large number of people have died from over medication. This is caused by doctors or specialists prescribing too much medication to their patients, or by people taking too much medication to ease their pain without precaution. This not only affects a person physically but also mentally. If a person feels that medication is the only helping them, then they will keep taking those pills, resulting in the destruction of the body and mind. Plus millions of dollars are spent on prescription pills, which is another reason why there is so much over medication. Overmedication in America has a negative impact on society, which is leading to physical and mental damages.
Annually, the US spends $300 billion dollars on pharmaceutical drugs. This is due to the over-diagnosing of certain conditions. Everyday, Americans are exposed to an enormous amount of advertisements for medications of all kinds. For example, 1 in 10 Americans are taking
Many patients are finding it more difficult to afford their prescription medications. Comparing health care expenditures in the United States, prescription drug costs rank third compared to hospital expenses and physician services (Omojasola, Hernandez, Sansgiry, & Jones, 2012, p. 479). The rising cost of prescription drugs is concerning to many patients. “The high out-of-pocket prescription drug cost is associated with medication non-adherence and adverse health outcomes” Omojasola, et al., 2012, p. 480).
We in America tend to take medications for almost any problem we have, from headaches to gastrointestinal pain, to more serious chronic disorders such as depression and attention deficit disorder. While many of the uses of such medications may be necessary and legitimate, many are not, and due to this fact, many people become dependent on medications, mentally, and or physically. This problem is not simply the fault of the individual; in fact, the blame can also be placed upon the medical community, and the pharmaceutical companies who produce the drugs. How often can one turn on the television to see advertisements for Claritin, Aspirin, Pepto-Bismol, or even Zoloft or Ritalin? The pharmaceutical industry is motivated by monetary
People all over the world, continue to be tendered prescription medication, which in many cases further complicate health issues with its myriad of side effects. In fact, statistics have shown that approximately 100,000 people around the world die as a result of prescription drugs annually (Smith, 2012). On the contrary, according
Recently, there has been a debate about the high prescription drug prices in the United States. Accounting for 9.7% of the national health expenditure, $329.2 billion was spent on prescription medications ($931 per person) in 2011 (Linton, 2014). So what exactly is the average American getting with their $931? Well, because there is an extraordinary amount of time, effort, and energy that goes into creating, manufacturing, and distributing a new drug, it’s no wonder the prices are so high. But what other costs are folded into the prices of your prescribed medications? This review looks beyond just the research and development costs needed to take a new drug from idea to shelf by examining several journals and other credible, secondary sources, to shed some light on how much pharmaceutical companies are spending to develop, advertise, and sell their drugs.
The United States consumes seventy five percent of the world’s prescription drugs, even though the country only makes up five percent of the world’s population. “In a culture of quick and easy fixes, prescription medication has become synonymous with ‘wellness’” (Rehabs). Pharmaceutical drug overdose is now one of the leading causes of death in the nation. But, could doctors be to blame for this epidemic? Research shows how doctors are universally prescribed, but are so that doctors have been told frequently that patients should not be on them for more than four weeks. Patients become addicted to medications prescribed by their doctor. People who abuse prescription drugs, taking them in habit or dosage than prescribed, or taking medications
In the United States of America, there is prescription drug abuse epidemic that continues to be a growing concern. Prescription drugs cause a large amount of overdoses and result in an abundant amount of deaths each year. A government study conducted shows this epidemic is scarily on the rise, “A recent government study found a 400% increase in prescription drug abuse between 1998 and 2008” (Schreiner 531). The excessive use of prescription drug abuse is leading to nonmedical use of the drugs, and creating addiction. Furthermore society is paying an extreme amount of money in this battle. With this drug abuse on the rise, legislators must create a law preventing doctors and pharmacists from over prescribing prescription medications as well a law to require they both participate in drug monitoring programs to prevent drug abuse. Now is the time that doctors and the pharmaceutical industry must be held accountable for their role in causing one of America’s worst addictions. The over medication of prescription drugs in the United States must be brought to an end by legislators creating laws to stop
The utilization of prescription drugs has increased across all age groups in the US, with 50% of Americans taking at least one prescription drug (Rice & Unruh, 2016). This can be attributed to physician-induced demand, substitution of pharmaceuticals for other medical regimens, commercialization of the products, increase in the aging population and drug insurance coverage, and also the increase in chronic conditions. Lathan discusses the startling fact that the rate increase of prescription drugs purchased was considerably higher in contrast to the US population growth - 71% and 9% respectively (Rice & Unruh, 2016, p. 264).
Times. http://www.nytimes.com.2008/02/19/world /americas/19iht-princeton.1.10175351.html Fitzsimmons, W. 2014. Time out or Burn out for the Next Generation. Retrieved from
It is often assumed that failure is a deterrent to achievement. Rather, failure should be seen as a motivator for a person to keep trying until the objective or aim of a particular mission is fulfilled.