US Drug Usage Explodes

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http://campaignfortruth.com/Eclub/130902/usdrugusageexplodes.htm

 

 

US Drug Usage Explodes

 

 

Physicians are prescribing medications at a far faster clip than they did two

decades ago, a trend that is likely to result in a doubling of drug spending in

the next 5 years.

 

Between 1985 and 1999, the prescribing rate rose 34%, from 109 to 146

prescriptions per 100 visits, the study found. All major therapeutic classes,

except for microbial agents such as penicillin and tetracycline (which fell 12%)

experienced increases during the study period.

 

About two thirds of the increase can be accounted for by an aging patient

population and more complicated medical conditions, the research found. But

other factors, such as the availability of new drug formulations to treat

chronic conditions, wider health insurance and drug coverage, and growth of

direct-to-consumer advertising are also believed to contribute to the increased

prescribing rate.

 

The trend is likely to continue as baby boomers grow older and scientific

discoveries lead to better treatment of acute and chronic conditions, concludes

study author Catharine Burt, chief of the ambulatory care statistics branch of

the National Center for Health Statistics at the Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention.

 

The analysis is based on data from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey,

a survey of office-based physicians conducted by the National Center for Health

Statistics. The survey captures all " drug mentions " , meaning prescriptions,

over-the-counter preparations and immunizations ordered, supplied or

administered during a visit.

 

Psychiatrists had the largest increase in drug mentions, jumping to 178 drugs

per 100 visits in 1999, from 82 per 100 visits in 1985.

 

Just six therapeutic classes accounted for 80% of the increase in the overall

drug mention rate. Those classes include central nervous system drugs, hormones,

respiratory medications, pain relief agents, metabolics/nutrients and

cardiovascular-kidney drugs.

 

Antidepressants accounted for 13.5% of the increase in overall ambulatory drug

prescribing. Cholesterol-lowering drugs and heart medications called ACE

inhibitors were also top contributors.

 

For seniors, the largest increase was for drugs affecting the blood and

blood-forming tissues, which jumped 187% during the study period. For adults 45

to 64, metabolic drugs, including cholesterol-lowering medications, had the

largest increase in drug mentions, up 109%.

 

Central nervous system drugs had the highest increase for children, up a

startling 327%. The study finds that the attention-deficit/hyperactivity

disorder drug Ritalin was among the most frequently mentioned drugs in this

class during children's visits in 1999.

Health Affairs, July/August 2002

 

DR. MERCOLA'S COMMENT: The US currently spends about 1.5 trillion dollars for

healthcare, and that is projected to double in less than ten years. As the late

Senator Everett Dirksen from Illinois was fond of saying in reference to the

Defense Department budget, a billion dollars here, a billion dollars there, and

before you know it you are talking real money. Well, we are talking much more

than a few billion dollars: nearly 1.5 trillion dollars is far beyond even Bill

Gates' net worth. The real tragedy is that we spend all this money on disease

management focused on drugs and surgery, and our return on this investment is

profoundly poor.

 

Contributing a hefty part of these costs, retail pharmacies filled 3 billion

prescriptions in 2000. And, as the article states, psychiatrists are leading the

pack when it comes to increasing their use of drugs. This is, in part, related

to the clear increase in depression and the apparent effectiveness of the

second-generation antidepressants at relieving symptoms for many.

 

However, these drugs DO NOT treat the cause; at best, they are symptomatic

band-aids, and at worse they cause side effects that can lead to premature

death.

 

So what are your options? Review the recent article (focused on ADHD but

applicable to other depression sources) to review those in more detail, but in

short, my major focus now is on increasing your fish oil intake and lowering

your omega-6 oils.

www.mercola.com

 

 

 

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