4 ms·

Just from a bit of googling: >Researchers find that nearly 70 percent of Americans are on at least one prescription drug, and more than half receive at least t

Just from a bit of googling: >Researchers find that nearly 70 percent of Americans are on at least one prescription drug, and more than half receive at least two prescriptions, reports CBS Atlanta. >Researchers from the Mayo Clinic, a non-profit medical and research center, report that antibiotics, antidepressants and painkiller opioids are the most common prescriptions given to Americans. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/study-shows-70-percent-of-americans-take-prescription-drugs/ https://www.cbsnews.com/news/study-shows-70-percent-of-ameri... Since antibiotics have depression as a potential side effect that boosts the number.

pcurve 8y ago
Wonder if that includes birth control? A gender breakdown would be good.
- bambataa 8y ago
  There's an exhibition at the British Museum (http://www.pharmacopoeia-art.net/articles/in-sickness-and-in-health/ http://www.pharmacopoeia-art.net/articles/in-sickness-and-in...) that shows how many prescription pills people take over their lifetime. It's striking how many more pills women take (mostly due to birth control obviously).
  - FelipeCortez 8y ago
    Cool to know it's still there. One of the most remarkable things I've ever seen at a museum
    - Latteland 8y ago
      of course we live a lot longer than people used to on average. would be interesting to measure how much is from treating problems along the way, vs more healthy hygiene vs childhood survival from sickness.
- gowld 8y ago
  Birth Control would explain most of the of the OP, wouldn't it? Much of the rest can be explained by that it's much safer (for the pharma company) to declare an extremely mild/rare side effect than to not declare it. "Depression is a side effect" != "most people who take this drug are depressed"
  - candiodari 8y ago
    The vast majority of these drugs seem to be pain killers (unless you count birth control). It seems to me, given that, the depression side effect is probably related to the following sequence of events: 1) painkillers are given to patients in lieu of actual treatment (you can fix anything with painkillers. With a very low short-term cost and you may get lucky and get a low total cost too (ie. problem disappears by itself)) 2) body "adapts" to painkillers, and they, very slowly, become less effective over time And, boom, there comes your depression.

pcurve 8y ago

Wonder if that includes birth control? A gender breakdown would be good.

bambataa 8y ago
There's an exhibition at the British Museum (http://www.pharmacopoeia-art.net/articles/in-sickness-and-in-health/ http://www.pharmacopoeia-art.net/articles/in-sickness-and-in...) that shows how many prescription pills people take over their lifetime. It's striking how many more pills women take (mostly due to birth control obviously).
- FelipeCortez 8y ago
  Cool to know it's still there. One of the most remarkable things I've ever seen at a museum
  - Latteland 8y ago
    of course we live a lot longer than people used to on average. would be interesting to measure how much is from treating problems along the way, vs more healthy hygiene vs childhood survival from sickness.
gowld 8y ago
Birth Control would explain most of the of the OP, wouldn't it? Much of the rest can be explained by that it's much safer (for the pharma company) to declare an extremely mild/rare side effect than to not declare it. "Depression is a side effect" != "most people who take this drug are depressed"
- candiodari 8y ago
  The vast majority of these drugs seem to be pain killers (unless you count birth control). It seems to me, given that, the depression side effect is probably related to the following sequence of events: 1) painkillers are given to patients in lieu of actual treatment (you can fix anything with painkillers. With a very low short-term cost and you may get lucky and get a low total cost too (ie. problem disappears by itself)) 2) body "adapts" to painkillers, and they, very slowly, become less effective over time And, boom, there comes your depression.