Unexamined Drug Epidemic--the Elephant No One Wants to See

“Prescription drug therapy stands as one of the most significant perils to health resulting from human activity.” What's the FDA doing to stem the tide of this preventable epidemic? 

'Prescription drugs are the 4th leading cause of death in the US. In any given month, 48% of US consumers ingested a prescription drug, and 11% ingested five or more prescription drugs. Americans suffer from an estimated 45-50 million adverse effects, from prescription drugs--of which 2.5 million to 4 million are serious, disabling or fatal.
[ QuarterWatch , May 2012 ]

So what is the FDA--the agency that licenses these drugs--doing to stem the rising tide of this preventable deadly epidemic?  NOTHING. ' 

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MDs Too Quick to Reach for Prescription Pads by Len Saputo, MD

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Drug deaths now outnumber traffic fatalities in U.S., data show

 

'Fueling the surge in deaths are prescription pain and anxiety drugs that are potent, highly addictive and especially dangerous when combined with one another or with other drugs or alcohol. Among the most commonly abused are OxyContin, Vicodin, Xanax and Soma. One relative newcomer to the scene is Fentanyl, a painkiller that comes in the form of patches and lollipops and is 100 times more powerful than morphine.

Such drugs now cause more deaths than heroin and cocaine combined.'

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