A Crisis of Medication

I was recently shocked to learn that fully ¼ of the freshmen entering Princeton this year are either on an anxiety / depression medication, or require ongoing therapy. I was assured that this is not atypical. And that is just the iceberg tip. Over 70 percent of Americans take some form of medication daily - 2 in 7 of those for depression or sleep aid. The numbers are even higher for those over 50. Of those on meds, over 80 percent take at least two prescription drugs and over 50 percent take four or more (most of the interactions between these multiple drugs are not tested). And we haven’t even started to count the rampant Rx pain medication market. Moreover, many low income folks struggle with whether to buy a prescription or put food on the table. Sounds like an over-medicated society to me.

It would be easy to blame greedy Big Pharma for their endless promotion of their drugs. In that regard, I would note that advertising drugs to consumers is legal ONLY in the US and New Zealand, thanks to powerful drug lobbys in both countries. The games they play with regulators and Congress contribute to the affordability issue.

Or we might blame doctors, who are quick to pull out the Rx pad for a chemical mask of symptoms, rather than take the time to address the root cause. Certainly the extra money that some physicians receive from Big Pharma does nothing to deter the Rx trigger finger.

In truth, we patient / consumers are a very real part of the problem. The attitude that taking a BP or cholesterol medication is just easier than getting more exercise and eating a healthier diet is pervasive. Why do the work, when we can just take a pill and then eat chips in front of the TV is the American way - everyone else does it.

The same lazy convenience factor accounts for over-use of anti-biotics, as well. Just throw a broad spectrum killer at the problem rather than let the immune system do its job. This not only creates resistant bugs, but dampens the immune system and damages the body’s micro-biome.

The irony of all this medication is that most consumers expect that the drug will be effective. What they fail to grasp is that a drug need only “perform statistically better than the placebo” to win FDA approval. Drug companies only have to provide 2 studies and may have many studies which show the drug to be ineffective, but don’t need to reveal that. In some cases, drugs have been approved which are less than 50 percent effective, yet statistically better than the placebo.

The bottom line is this : If we want to reduce our enormous ingestion of prescription chemicals, we must take responsibility for our own health.

“Ask your doctor if more walks in nature and a better diet are right for you.”