pharmaceuticals

The use of prescription drugs is the fastest growing component of the costs of personal health care and increases 15% annually (Lown, 2003). This is 4 times faster than any other health component spending. The impact the costs of health care in the United States has on the American public is profound. It affects every American citizen either directly or indirectly. One must question the necessity of the number of drugs being prescribed.An examination needs to be made into whether it is a result of pharmaceutical advertising to the public, physicians clouded by the benefits provided by the pharmaceutical industry, or whether these drugs are truly needed by the patients taking them. This paper will address these issues in an effort to shed light into the costs associated with healthcare, as well as potential dangers of drug promotion to physicians and the general public.