Has Britain become a nation of pill poppers
Recent statistics from the Department of Health show that the average person in the UK now picks up 16 prescriptions a year, a increase of 100% on 20 years ago.
Medicines such as diet pills, sedatives and Statins are now prescribed in huge numbers to treat illnesses which might previously have been addressed by lifestyle changes. Much of this rise can be attributed to advances in medicine which mean that new drugs have become available which were simply not around 20 years ago.
Critics argue, however, that medication is being prescribed as a quick-fix solution to manage the symptoms of an illness rather than dealing with the actual cause. In an era of over-worked doctors and hectic NHS schedules it would seem reasonable to assume that medical professionals sometimes reach for the prescription pad rather than address the roots of an ongoing health problem. In the case of mental health issues such as depression in adults and behavioural problems in children, prescribing anti-depressants or sedatives is viewed by some as glossing-over issues that would be better treated with counselling or other forms of psychiatric help.
The medical establishment has also been criticised for being too heavily influenced by the pharmaceuticals industry. Pharmaceuticals is big business and sales representatives are known to offer incentives to GPs to prescribe whichever brand of drugs they happen to represent. This has aroused suspicion in some quarters that a doctor's decision as to whether or not to prescribe medication is not always entirely based on the long term needs of the patient.
Doctors defend the rapid rise in prescriptions by pointing to the continuing increase in life expectancy enjoyed by people in the UK. Advances in medicine mean people suffering from illnesses such as heart disease and diabetes can now live a longer and better life than they might have done even a decade ago. Britain is an ageing society and as people live longer it stands to reason that they will need more medicines to maintain an acceptable quality of life.
But prescriptions don't tell the whole story. Medical products and remedies can be obtained over the counter at supermarkets and pharmacies as well as on prescription, meaning the average level of medicine being consumed by each person in the UK is likely to be far higher than the official figures show. So have we become a nation of pill poppers reaching for the bottle at the slightest hint of pain or discomfort?
Perhaps so. But when it comes to individuals self medicating and buying remedies over the counter, is it really so wrong to do so when suffering from minor illnesses such as headaches, colds and flu? Absence from work due to illness costs UK businesses billions of pounds each year. With the economy in its current state, it is perhaps no wonder some people would rather take a tablet than call in sick.
Although overuse of analgesics such as paracetamol and aspirin has been found to be harmful to people with existing kidney problems, there is no scientific evidence to show that taking painkillers poses a health risk provided individuals do not have any underlying health problems.
Each individual has a different pain threshold, as well as different demands on their body and time. As long as you only use over the counter medicines on a short term basis and under the guidance of your pharmacist, there is no reason not to pop a pill next time you feel ill.
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