Heroes Not Zombies

The Mayo Clinic claims that 70% of Americans are taking at least one prescription drug.

More than half of these are taking at least two different drugs.

20% are taking five or more prescription drugs.

Here are the top five, in order of frequency –

1. Antibiotics
2. Antidepressants
3. Opiate painkillers
4. Antihypertensives
5. Vaccines

Prescription drug use has increased steadily in the U.S. for the past decade. The percentage of people who took at least one prescription drug in the past month increased from 44 percent in 1999-2000 to 48 percent in 2007-08. Spending on prescription drugs reached $250 billion in 2009 the year studied, and accounted for 12 percent of total personal health care expenditures. Drug-related spending is expected to continue to grow in the coming years, the researchers say.

So, here’s what I’m wondering. What is our working model for health care? What are we trying to achieve? Health? And if that’s our goal, how are we doing? Does this study indicate we are on the right road? Is this a sustainable direction? How do we pay for every more expensive health care of this type every year?

Oh, and isn’t it interesting that three of the top five are called “anti-” something? This suggests that our only hope is that health will emerge as a side-effect of these treatments…..they certainly aren’t designed to improve health directly.

And just in case you think antibiotics create health, have a look here.

If 7 out of 10 people in a population are taking drugs, are those drugs bringing them what they hope for?