The United States formed a health care system in which any feeling of being unwell generates a need to go to the doctor. Due to this overwhelming pressure to go for medical help, Americans are often vulnerable to being over-prescribed, overcharged, and overmedicated. They find themselves running off of medications to get through the day- a detriment to their health.
According to Georgetown University of the Health Policy Institute, the U.S. has the largest prescribed drug rate, with 66% of Americans being on at least one prescribed form of medication. In the 66%, more than 4/10 adults take five or more pills in a day. Letraurbana states that America only takes up to 5% of the population and uses up to 50% of the world’s prescribed medicine. This in itself shows the dramatic effect the U.S. has compared to other countries when it comes to prescribing medication.
With the overprescription of medication, there is a lack of communication with medical patients. Many individuals rely on the medicine they take, with their concerns being covered with the medicines doctors prescribe them, as being on a lot of medicine is the “cure” if one doesn’t feel well. One’s body should result in positive effects with the pills prescribed, but today, Americans have to be careful that they are not getting oversupplied and being handed unnecessary supplements. According to Yale Medicine, there are around 1.3 million Emergency department visits in the United States annually from getting unnecessary medications. The National Library of Medicine states that many pharmaceutical companies across the U.S. have financial motivation to prescribe more of certain medications. With this, there is also a money game at hand with marketing strategies that push people to buy certain pills.
Getting lots of medication is one thing, but with the U.S. not providing health care, it is much more costly for Americans to be paying for medication, therefore: purchasing unnecessary medicine can quickly add up and must be avoided. The Peterson Foundation shows stats representing how the U.S. has doubled the ratio of the amount of money spent on prescription drugs. This includes $466 per capita in wealthy countries besides the U.S., and the U.S. at $966 per capita spent. Profit-driven healthcare systems have been a key factor in the rise of spending on medication and the oversupply of medication leading to big investments for the average American to afford.
Taking an unnecessary amount of medication leaves many individuals unable to get off the medicine. AARP says that 88% of people who take five or more medications are to seek care. Statistics show that people who take more medicine and then try to get off it can have serious repercussions that lead them to being hospitalized. Medicine makes the human body’s immune system less active as it relies on the medication one takes, therefore getting off lots of daily medications can cause a shock to the body, and leaves people unable to function normally without those medications.
Mental Health has been a major factor in inappropriate over-prescription of medicine as a form of solution. According to the American Psychological Association, The U.S. has resulted in high cases of depression, ADHD, anxiety and more. Psychotropic drugs are being taken by 1 out of 5 adults, leading to $16 billion spent on antipsychotics, $11 billion spent on antidepressants and $7 billion spent on drugs to treat ADHD in 2010 with more of a rise now after the Covid-19 pandemic. Major causes include side effects on the brain and psychological aspects for individuals who shouldn’t be prescribed these medications. The money being taken from people using these drugs is a major part of the economy and has become an integral part of big pharmaceutical companies. The way people use drugs as a first resolution instead of a last resort keeps the money high for companies, giving them all the more reason to push drugs onto people.
Medicine is there to support one’s body, but can be a negative downfall to human health. Taking the medicine one needs is essential, but the prescriptions across the US have led to a dangerous downfall within the population. Being educated on this topic is important, and relying on one’s own health to make the right choices for the body can be better than any drug prescribed by a doctor.
