Health Buzz: America's Most Popular Drugs

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I am a clinical pharmacist who specializes in Geriatric Pharmacotherapy (I develop drug therapy management programs for the older patient). I practiced in the nursing home setting for many years but now my practice is devoted to out patients (those over 65 that live independently at home). This inappropriate prescribing of drugs is so frustrating that with the help of Bill Hogan I wrote a book that will be released by Simon & Schuster on July 3, 2012. The name of the book "Are Your Prescriptions Killing You" deals in detail these problems and what the patient should do. You can examine the book at http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_2_8?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=are+your+prescriptions+killing+you&sprefix=are+your%2Caps%2C2162
As the AARP EXPERT in Pharmacy "ask the pharmacist" I receive questions from patients that are pitiful. Something must be done to stop this epidemic or run away train. I also have a web site www.medicationxpert.com that also addresses many of these problems. It is disgusting that in today's medical technology this can occur. Your article is on target but the blame goes much further that the nursing home, those over 65 years living at home are in much danger. Not only does this polypharmacy and prescription cascades cost many lives, distruction of quality of life and hundreds of billions of dollars to our health care system no one seems to want to stop it. Read my book! Armon Neel, Jr., Pharm.D., CGP, FASCP

Armon Neel, Jr., Pharm.D., CGP, FASCP of GA 2:01PM June 23, 2012

Companies do give out samples. They are looking to put their products in potential consumers' hands. They wouldn't do it if it didn't work one of the place that always worked is "123 Get Samples" search online

mariaschmid216 of TX 3:09AM April 21, 2011

Worse than the animal fat, it is the never ending over-refined carbs..
As more and more of the science bears out - carbohydrates - esp. the refined ones are the metabolic bullies that lead to elevated cholesterol, triglycerides and obesity.
America hasn't had such a problem with excessive weight and all the attendant ills that come of it since the 'low-fat' craze was ramped up 30 years ago.
Pay attention to the countless jumbo-thighed women pushing grocery carts FILLED with 'low-fat' refined carb-laden product egregiously called 'food' lumbering through today's supermarkets.
Organic isn't NECESSARY, but FRESH, REAL -->food<-- that you buy from the shelves and bins at the EDGE of the store is the ticket.
Leave the industrially refined grain in the brightly colored boxes in the middle aisles to go stale - little of it will rot - it's NOT real food!
Eat real food, in the balance of MOSTLY leaves, nuts, stems and roots.. choose grains (corn, wheat, rice and soy - ALL are GMO and overrefined in most cases and do NOT forget that 'corn sugar' aka, High Fructose Corn Syrup IS *corn* as well!) absolutely LAST and limit meat to small - less than 4 oz. *lean* portions.. and the rest, WRT to *needing* to pop pills like they're Tic-Tacs becomes irrelevant and unnecessary.
Peace.

foodandart of NH 12:43PM April 20, 2011

I have chronic neck, knee, and back pain from old injuries (this dates back almost 30 years), and I find that doctors are reluctant to treat my pain with medication so I can function well. I can't blame them -- the DEA is murder on physicians who prescribe pain medication, seldom trusting or respecting real medical judgment and the wish to help a patient. I've already been labeled an "addict" by one "Pain Management" physician. Oddly (or not) he was the one who MADE a medication error. Amazing, eh?
This has an effect on my family, friend, activities -- my whole life, (such as it is) and I can't be the only one. I use several other modes of treatment -- diets, chiropractic, stretching, light exercise (I also have fibromyalgia, which is NOT treatable with pain medication), even acupuncture. This has disabled me, so I can be nothing but staff for my kids, both of whom have issues with which I deal on a daily basis. In this, I have experience, so it's worked out for the best, but it's still a frustrating thing.

BRKyle of VA 12:33PM April 20, 2011

Some drugs are helpful to humans. but most are just profit makers and really don't do much, except they do have bad side effects which could kill you.
Marijuana on the other hand is the clear winner since it non habit forming, safe and has no dangerous side effects. Marijuana has many uses for medical conditions and general personal use as well for everything from headaches to cancer and MS.
The list of symptoms and diseases that Marijuana helps is endless and more are being discovered every day as more patients and doctors learn about the miracle plant.

Dave of OH 11:59AM April 20, 2011

One of the doctors in the article said that it is bad if people are delaying treatment, etc. I have chosen to reject certain treatments because they are too expensive. At this point, I am insured, my kids are grown, and it is cheaper to die. Treatment just costs too much. You want people like me to quit delaying treatment, then quit costing so much. At some point, when there are more folks out there like me, you all are going to find yourselves out of a job.

lilmikey of OH 11:55AM April 20, 2011

Where in this report does it take into consideration the salesman who sells the drugs for the company? I would like to see the report on what drugs the salesman is selling. Could this be reflexing a great sales strategy? Not what people are taking? I know when I go to the doctor and ask for pain meds, the only thing I can get is Vicodin, even though it makes me sick. When I ask for something else I don't get it. So I take the Vicodin, throw it out. Call back and get something else that doesn't make me sick. This has happen so much in the last ten years that it is routine now. And I still tell them that it makes me sick, and I still have to go though this every time! Could it be a sales incentive? Somethings wrong when they top selling drugs are also the top KILLING drugs! Someone need to put the entire picture together. Vicodin is the top selling and also one of the top killing drugs. So why is it still prescribed? Ignorance or greed?

Cindy Flaherty of WA 11:41AM April 20, 2011

Last time I went to the doctors for an infection, I received a prescription for an antibiotic and a pain killer. At the time I did not have health insurance, so I had to pay everything out of pocket. When I went to the pharmacy, I was told my prescription for painkillers (Oxycontin) was going to be $12 for 10 pills, and my antibiotic (Clindamycin) was going to be $161 for 14 pills and that was for the generic version.
Perhaps we would see a lot of decreases in painkiller abuse if we swapped the prices around. Every prescription I have gotten comes with painkillers. When I got them, I told the doctor that I didn't want the painkillers as they were unneeded, and the antibiotics were so expensive that I ended up not taking all of them in case the infection came back and I would have some left over to fight it without having to shell out an extra $161.
We should be making drugs like antibiotics cheaper and painkillers more expensive. This prevents people from abusing them as they become too expensive to abuse.
Just my personal view, but it seems we have to change the environment of pharmaceutical prescriptions instead of just continuing to over prescribe and medicate people with borderline opiates.

Concerned of PA 11:25AM April 20, 2011

How about consumption of ridiculous amounts of animal fat???!!
Killing you!
Wake up.

Mine of RI 10:58AM April 20, 2011

Stop consuming ridiculous quantities of fat-laden, artery-clogging, animal flesh. It is killing you, and you refuse to wake up! Meanwhile, the fast food "killers" ARE "lovin' it." They're killing you, and you're sleep-walking right into the slaughter.

That's Me of RI 10:49AM April 20, 2011