The economy may be trying to recover, but spending money on prescription drugs has multiplied almost six times. According to the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, spending on prescription medication increased from $40.3 billion in 1990 to $234.1 billion in 2008.
From 1999 to 2009 the number of prescriptions filled jumped 39 percent, compared to a population growth in the United States of only 9 percent over the same time period. In 2009, West Virginia had the highest prescription drug use in the country. The state filled 18.4 prescriptions per capita, compared with a national per capita average of 11.6 prescriptions. The state also had the highest rate of prescription drug use in the country.
According to Peggy King, pharmacy director for West Virginia’s Bureau for Medical Services, West Virginia residents have co-morbid medical conditions that often require a cocktail of drugs to treat. Across the country, the jump in prescription drug use may be attributed to the development of a wide range of treatments for different medical conditions. It is also attributed to the increased ease of obtaining a prescription from a physician, and the general rise in obesity, diabetes and heart disease.
Some experts believe many patients may be taking more pills than they should.
"Many people equate taking medication with getting better," said Paul Doering, professor in the department of pharmacotherapy and translational research at the University of Florida College of Pharmacy. "My mantra when it comes to prescriptions is ‘less is more’ for a lot of reasons – not only financial, but also because those drugs can hurt you sometimes."
