Short And Long Term Effects Of Overmedicating
More than 100,000 people a year are being killed because they are overmedicated by doctors and other health care providers within the medical field. Drugs prescribed by those in medical practices can be helpful but can also be dangerous even lethal if used incorrectly. This not only applies to abusing drugs by not using them as prescribed, but also includes taking an incorrect dosage given by a doctor. Modern America obviously appreciates the benefits of prescription drugs, but many people may be taking medication for reasons that don't require medicating. Taking medicine for problems when pharmaceutical treatment is not needed can cause severe problems. All medications have some degree of side effects, but the medicine may not be safe for people
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especially at higher doses or given in combination with other medications.
(National…) Many of the drugs do not have immediate side effects but can have long term effects caused by overmedicating. Overmedicating can be caused by intentionally or unintentionally taking beyond the prescribed amount, or by a doctor giving out a prescription on top of other medication. Many people are even given prescriptions without consideration to other medicine they may be taking. This is the most common form of overmedicating, but all have severe effects. The number of Americans taking medication is constantly growing at an alarming rate. Are Americans overmedicated? A prescription drug is a licensed medicine with a prescription written by a doctor, or someone certified in the medical field. Prescription drugs are often referred to as Rx for short. Often times doctors prescribe medication without knowledge of other medications the patient may be taking at the time. Some people feel that the long term effects and side effects of the Rx are
worse than the problem that is causing the need for medication. Many medications have also been known to cause major heart problems such as heart disease. It is not uncommon for an Rx to be the leading cause of death. A CBS News investigation found that some veterans are dying of accidental overdoses of narcotic painkillers at a higher rate than the non military population. (Axelrod) A dozen VA physicians say they've felt pressured by administrators to prescribe narcotics and that patients are not being properly monitored. (Axelrod) It is easier for doctors to just write a prescription than it is to perform tests and examine a patient. The military and doctors are having trouble managing the veterans seeking treatment for mental and physical injuries after returning from war. Many veterans blame the government doctors for overdosing them, some are even pressing charges. Retired Navy veteran John Keith says the Rx prescribed to him caused him to blackout and lose his knowledge of what he was doing on multiple occasions. Keith tells of how the Rx has negatively affected his social life and made him irritable, to the point where he threw his furniture off a balcony. "I'd throw it off the balcony, and I had no recollection whatsoever," Keith says about the experience. Although he was given the Rx to help him with cope with psychological issues the medicine still had side effects that could be harmful.
Many Rx prescriptions are able to help with the current problem the patient is having, but in addition to helping, can cause more problems for the patient. Often times they are given more Rx to combat the side effects but this only adds to the list of problems. In multiple cases this continues until the patient is taking anywhere from 10 to 15 pills a day. In the article The Epidemic of Overmedication the author tells how his mother is required to take 21 different Rx's a day, prescribed by 5 separate physicians. This shows that when doctors prescribe drugs many do not take into account other medications that may be taken already. The author of this article also states, “Although medications can ease many conditions, multiple-drug use often exacerbates existing ailments and causes troubling side effects that are treated with yet more drugs.” The use of many different pills caused the woman to have memory lapse, misplace things, and repeat herself, from the side effects. Not only are short term mental illnesses a problem caused by overmedicating but it can also cause long term damage such as liver failure and toxic blood levels. (Carpenter) Each Rx is different but many have been known to cause heart and breathing problems such as asthma, and heart disease.
Possibly the largest portion of the Rx overdosage is due to people taking medication for problems that don’t require medication. People are getting the negative side effects from the drugs but since they do not have any real problems that require medication there is no intended effect. Many doctors would rather write a prescription than take the time to figure out what is actually wrong with a patient. They are treating the patient’s symptoms not the disease. People are taking these drugs without needing them and are becoming dependent on them. While there may be less dangerous solutions to a patient's problem, such as behavioral therapy or diet modifications.
Prescription drugs are not entirely harmful they do play a key role in helping the lives of the people who need them. It can be argued that it is the responsibility of the patient to make sure they understand the medication they’re taking to prevent accidentally confusing medications. Although the doctor may give out a prescription for a drug. People need to be proactive and not blindly follow what the doctor says. A patient should get a second opinion from another doctor to make sure the medication that is being prescribed is safe to take before beginning treatment. Some may think the extent of prescription drugs is exaggerated, and only see that many drugs do save peoples lives. If the accessibility to prescription drugs became more stringent and more restricted millions of people would suffer because they could not get treatment.
The problem of Americans being overmedicated can be combated in a number of ways. One of the ways that would help the most would be to develop a closer monitoring of written prescriptions. This would help stop people from receiving an excessive amount of drugs to take on a daily basis. If this was monitored properly and effectively it would be easier to see when a doctor is just writing prescriptions without the lack of trying other options. Another main cause of overdosage is taking more drugs to counteract the side effects from another drug. Doctors need to be more diligent in treating the disease not medicating people for their presenting symptoms. As well as being more conscious of the possible side effects of the medicine they are prescribing. Understanding the side effects of a drug is extremely important as such when the patient complains about a side effect it is not treated like a different illness. Lastly, doctors should also seek to recommend other treatment options before resorting to the quick use of pharmaceuticals. Are Americans overmedicated? It is important to understand the severity of this problem and how it can be solved. Americans are being overmedicated for several different reasons. Doctors don’t want to put in the work of diagnosing every patient and finding alternate solutions to a patient's illness. Also people are taking more medicine to try and stop their side effects that could be due to other medications. This leads to people taking an excessive number of pills that may react dangerously with each other or cause the body to shut down. Medications are also being taken when there isn’t a need. Which doesn't benefit the person it just causes side effects that makes people think they are ill. The system of prescription drug usage in this country should be revised and more strictly regulated to ensure that people aren’t being prescribed dozens of pills that are being taken on a daily basis.
especially at higher doses or given in combination with other medications.
(National…) Many of the drugs do not have immediate side effects but can have long term effects caused by overmedicating. Overmedicating can be caused by intentionally or unintentionally taking beyond the prescribed amount, or by a doctor giving out a prescription on top of other medication. Many people are even given prescriptions without consideration to other medicine they may be taking. This is the most common form of overmedicating, but all have severe effects. The number of Americans taking medication is constantly growing at an alarming rate. Are Americans overmedicated? A prescription drug is a licensed medicine with a prescription written by a doctor, or someone certified in the medical field. Prescription drugs are often referred to as Rx for short. Often times doctors prescribe medication without knowledge of other medications the patient may be taking at the time. Some people feel that the long term effects and side effects of the Rx are
worse than the problem that is causing the need for medication. Many medications have also been known to cause major heart problems such as heart disease. It is not uncommon for an Rx to be the leading cause of death. A CBS News investigation found that some veterans are dying of accidental overdoses of narcotic painkillers at a higher rate than the non military population. (Axelrod) A dozen VA physicians say they've felt pressured by administrators to prescribe narcotics and that patients are not being properly monitored. (Axelrod) It is easier for doctors to just write a prescription than it is to perform tests and examine a patient. The military and doctors are having trouble managing the veterans seeking treatment for mental and physical injuries after returning from war. Many veterans blame the government doctors for overdosing them, some are even pressing charges. Retired Navy veteran John Keith says the Rx prescribed to him caused him to blackout and lose his knowledge of what he was doing on multiple occasions. Keith tells of how the Rx has negatively affected his social life and made him irritable, to the point where he threw his furniture off a balcony. "I'd throw it off the balcony, and I had no recollection whatsoever," Keith says about the experience. Although he was given the Rx to help him with cope with psychological issues the medicine still had side effects that could be harmful.
Many Rx prescriptions are able to help with the current problem the patient is having, but in addition to helping, can cause more problems for the patient. Often times they are given more Rx to combat the side effects but this only adds to the list of problems. In multiple cases this continues until the patient is taking anywhere from 10 to 15 pills a day. In the article The Epidemic of Overmedication the author tells how his mother is required to take 21 different Rx's a day, prescribed by 5 separate physicians. This shows that when doctors prescribe drugs many do not take into account other medications that may be taken already. The author of this article also states, “Although medications can ease many conditions, multiple-drug use often exacerbates existing ailments and causes troubling side effects that are treated with yet more drugs.” The use of many different pills caused the woman to have memory lapse, misplace things, and repeat herself, from the side effects. Not only are short term mental illnesses a problem caused by overmedicating but it can also cause long term damage such as liver failure and toxic blood levels. (Carpenter) Each Rx is different but many have been known to cause heart and breathing problems such as asthma, and heart disease.
Possibly the largest portion of the Rx overdosage is due to people taking medication for problems that don’t require medication. People are getting the negative side effects from the drugs but since they do not have any real problems that require medication there is no intended effect. Many doctors would rather write a prescription than take the time to figure out what is actually wrong with a patient. They are treating the patient’s symptoms not the disease. People are taking these drugs without needing them and are becoming dependent on them. While there may be less dangerous solutions to a patient's problem, such as behavioral therapy or diet modifications.
Prescription drugs are not entirely harmful they do play a key role in helping the lives of the people who need them. It can be argued that it is the responsibility of the patient to make sure they understand the medication they’re taking to prevent accidentally confusing medications. Although the doctor may give out a prescription for a drug. People need to be proactive and not blindly follow what the doctor says. A patient should get a second opinion from another doctor to make sure the medication that is being prescribed is safe to take before beginning treatment. Some may think the extent of prescription drugs is exaggerated, and only see that many drugs do save peoples lives. If the accessibility to prescription drugs became more stringent and more restricted millions of people would suffer because they could not get treatment.
The problem of Americans being overmedicated can be combated in a number of ways. One of the ways that would help the most would be to develop a closer monitoring of written prescriptions. This would help stop people from receiving an excessive amount of drugs to take on a daily basis. If this was monitored properly and effectively it would be easier to see when a doctor is just writing prescriptions without the lack of trying other options. Another main cause of overdosage is taking more drugs to counteract the side effects from another drug. Doctors need to be more diligent in treating the disease not medicating people for their presenting symptoms. As well as being more conscious of the possible side effects of the medicine they are prescribing. Understanding the side effects of a drug is extremely important as such when the patient complains about a side effect it is not treated like a different illness. Lastly, doctors should also seek to recommend other treatment options before resorting to the quick use of pharmaceuticals. Are Americans overmedicated? It is important to understand the severity of this problem and how it can be solved. Americans are being overmedicated for several different reasons. Doctors don’t want to put in the work of diagnosing every patient and finding alternate solutions to a patient's illness. Also people are taking more medicine to try and stop their side effects that could be due to other medications. This leads to people taking an excessive number of pills that may react dangerously with each other or cause the body to shut down. Medications are also being taken when there isn’t a need. Which doesn't benefit the person it just causes side effects that makes people think they are ill. The system of prescription drug usage in this country should be revised and more strictly regulated to ensure that people aren’t being prescribed dozens of pills that are being taken on a daily basis.