Over Prescribed America: Are Americans Taking Too Many Prescription Drugs

Americans have been led to OVER PRESCRIBED AMERICA believe - by their doctors, by advertisers, and by the pharmaceutical industry that there is a pill to cure just about anything that ails them. Are Americans taking to0 Many Prescription Drugs? How Many Americans Take a Prescription Drug? 46% of American adults TAKE PRESCRIPTION 4.2 BILLION?0 drugs (2012) 34% of American adults taking AT LEAST ONE prescription drug prescriptions written in the U.S. in 2011 11.5% of American adults taking 3 OR MORE prescription drugs = 100,000,000 6.5% of American adults taking 4 OR MORE prescription drugs Average Number of Prescription Per Year: 13 4.1 12 PRESCRIPTIONS PRESCRIPTIONS PRESCRIPTIONS TAKEN by FILLED by average American each year per average American American adults (2011) (2012) Demographics 20.4% 14% 10.5% 3-5% of those earning $o - $24.999 take 4 OR MORE of those earning $50,000 - $100,000 less than $100,000 take 4 OR MORE of those earning of those earning $100,000 – $149,000 take ONE take ONE prescription prescription prescription prescription Amount of Money Spent on Prescription Drugs by Americans: Age: 12.6% of Americans aged 65 & ABOVE take 4 OR MORE 325.7 $BILLION prescription drugs 208 BILLION 23% of Americans 234 $BILLION aged 18-24 are on a prescription drug 46% of American adults aged 55 & ABOVE on a prescription drug | 2001 |2008 |2012 Risks: Hospital Admissions Drug Reactions Cause of Death Number of Deaths 16% 70 # 4 10x more deaths 4th leading cause of death in the U.S. ahead of pulmonary disease, diabetes, AIDS and automobile deaths per year from adverse drug reactions to properly prescribed and administered drugs than from illegal drugs (106,000 : 10,000) 16% 70 % of hospital admissions are related There are potential reactions in the average prescription drug to adverse reactions to medicines Pharmaceutical Sales Industry FDA In 1997, FDA regulations changed – now companies can name both the drug and its purpose, while only naming the most significant potential side effects $4 BILLION SPENT A YEAR ON ADS to consumers by pharmaceutical companies 1/3 of consumers who've 80 seen a drug ad and have TALKED TO THEIR DRUG ADS DOCTOR ABOUT IT are on EVERY HOUR of every day on American TV. 00 179% of the above 2/3 ASKED of INCREASE IN FOR A PRESCRIPTION PRESCRIPTION DRUG SALES 7 MILLION people took antidepressants in 2001 attributed to TV advertising in 2002 www.TOPMASTERSINHEALTHCARE.COM CREATED BY OBizMedia SOURCES: HTTP://www.CNN.COM/2011/HEALTH/05/31/MED.NATION.TOO.MANY.MEDS/INDEX,HTML HTTP://wwW.NATURALNEWS.COM/037226_DRUG_PRESCRIPTIONS_MEDICAL_NEWS_PILLS.HTML#IXZZ2VLDEYJFO HTTP://BUCKS.BLOGS.NYTIMES.COM/2012/09/13/MANY-STRUGGLING-WITH-PRESCRIPTION-DRUG-COSTS/ HTTP://wwW.FORBES.COM/SITES/DAVIDMARIS/2012/07/24/1-IN-3-AMERICAN-ADULTS-TAKE-PRESCRIPTION-DRUGS/ HTTP://wwwW.NYTIMES.COM/2002/03/08/BUSINESS/TV-ADS-SPUR-A-RISE-IN-PRESCRIPTION-DRUG-SALES.HTML HTTP://WwW.NYTIMES.COM/2013/03/19/BUSINESS/USE-OF-GENERICS-PRODUCES-AN-UNUSUAL-DROP-IN-DRUG-SPENDING.HTMLPPAGEWANTED-ALL&_R-0 HTTP://ARTICLES.MERCOLA.COM/SITES/ARTICLES/ARCHIVE/2011/06/09/AVERAGE-DRUG-LABEL-LISTS-OVER-WHOPPING-70-SIDE-EFFECTS.ASPX