Pharmageddon – interesting title captured on the BBC News site.
It’s been coined in relation to a veritable epidemic of addiction to prescription drugs – I’ll say that again PRESCRIPTION DRUGS.
I believe I can safely say that over 80% of the inmates in the Pike County regional detention centre are in there for something dealing with their addiction to prescription drugs,” said Dan Smoot, director of law enforcement
80%?!
the average age at which users first abuse prescription pills is 11. It’s a statistic that makes him angry. “We have basically robbed our children of a childhood.” The pill crisis, which some are calling pharmageddon, is only now receiving national attention.
There are just too many drugs being prescribed. Too many, too carelessly, and too easily. Add to this the toll from Adverse Drug Reactions, and the rapidly escalating drugs bills of all health services, and isn’t it about time we came up with a radically different health care strategy? One which emphasised health and non-pharmacological interventions as much as possible and reduced drug interventions to only where really necessary?
Heroes Not Zombies 
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jun/09/us-drugs-oxycodone-painkillers-florida
This was in the Guardian last week –some good comments at the end. David Reilly came and did a stimulating talk today on alternatives . An excellent talk but not many attending as there was another lecture on prescribing for diabetes at the same time….
Dr’s don’t get paid for offering non pharmacological alternatives or looking at ‘creative’ solutions to many chronic health problems perhaps that is an issue?