| America's growing use of
depression-treating drugs like Prozac, Zoloft and Paxil made
antidepressants the biggest contributors to a record-setting pharmacy
benefit cost increase of 16.8 percent last year, according to a study by
the country's largest independent pharmacy benefit manager, Express
Scripts, Inc.
The main contributor appears to be the growing popularity of
antidepressant drugs, to "greater public awareness and acceptance
of depression as a disease and the availability of easier to dose, less
toxic, better tolerated medications like selective serotonin reuptake
inhibitors and selective norephinephrine reuptake inhibitors."
Antidepressant use increased 11.9 percent last year from 0.37 to 0.42
prescriptions per year. Use of antihyperintensive drugs increased 9.7
percent from 0.43 to 0.47 prescriptions per year.
The study also found usage growing for drugs that control high blood
pressure, combat diabetes, lower cholesterol, treat digestive problems,
and open sinuses. Drug prices are higher across the board, too. In 1998,
prices for all but one of the nation's 50 most prescribed drugs increased
-- many several times and often by double digits.
It looks like America is becoming more and more of a prescription drug
culture than ever before. This in the wake of the JAMA report showing
properly prescribed prescription drugs to be the forth leading killer in
the U.S.
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