Should Prescription Drugs Be Overmedicated?

709 Words2 Pages

Because prescription drugs alleviate individual symptoms, dependency on medication rises. In the United States, Americans take simple medications to alleviate a single symptom such as a headache or sore throat. These illnesses are common, causing antibiotics to be one of the most over-prescribed medicines in the United States. Additionally, Americans with serious illnesses depend on various prescriptions to get rid of their symptoms. Reporter Katharine Greider writes in the book Are Americans Overmedicated?, “Many patients take one drug just to combat the side effects of another” (11). Taking multiple prescriptions everyday becomes common to anyone in the United States who treats serious illnesses with medecine. Some may argue that using multiple …show more content…

Manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies highlight the economic success of pharmaceutical business in order to show the positive aspects of taking prescription drugs. Often times, doctors feel pressured to maintain success in their field whether it be providing treatment or prescribing medicine. When Atul Gawande, a general surgeon and Harvard professor, reviewed some of his previous cases, he found that seven of eight patients went through unnecessary treatments. After detailing the specific cases Gawande concludes “Millions of people are receiving drugs that aren’t helping them, operations that aren’t going to make them better, and scans and tests that do nothing beneficial for them”. Gawande’s findings are not rare cases, the Maurice A. Deane School of Law published an article explaining the corruption of United States health. This article describes overmedication as a problem that may cause immunity to effective drugs such as painkillers. When connecting corruption to this issue, the article reads “pharmaceutical representatives pressure doctors into prescribing particular drugs by offering financial incentives to the doctor” (Major). Although financial incentives are not always involved, pharmaceutical representatives still pressure doctors to maintain a high number of prescriptions. This pressure stems from representatives’ desire for rising …show more content…

Often times during a commercial break, long ads inform viewers on medications that alleviate symptoms one may face. Some argue that DTC ads empower consumers to recognize their symptoms and find solutions (Antony 72) however seeking your own solutions may be misleading. DTC ads although beneficial have serious dangers if patients use them as a main source for medical information. In New York times article, “Consumer Drug Advertising Should be Banned”, professor of family medicine, Kurt C. Stange explains, “Research has shown that the ads convey an unbalanced picture, with benefits and emotional appeals given far greater weight than risk” (Stange). DTC ads misinform consumers on the dangers of taking the advertised prescription, distracting them from taking precautions as they ask for medication. The FDA not only agrees that DTC ads do not balance information about risks and benefits but states “Eight percent of physicians said they felt very pressured to prescribe the specific brand-name drug when asked” (The Impact). Despite having benefits, DTC ads should be marketed in a way that prevents patients from being distracted from risks. It is the job of the doctor to prescribe a patient with the appropriate medicine, not the job of the patient to diagnose

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