Anyone Else Think We are Overmedicated?

[tater03]

I am like some of the posters above I don't go unless I really need to. Where I have something that requires antibotics.
As for the over medicating I do believe it happens especially like the above poster stated when you're insurance is an HMO.

 

[vicki2]

Also, the number of television ads for prescription medications helps to send people to doctors. I think there's alot of self-medicating going on the West and it's silly.

 

[mamab]

I agree, the medication ads on TV don't help at all. People can decide "this is what I have, I'll go get medicine for it." Why do we have doctors if we can just go ask for the medicines we want to take.

 

[dong]

Bureaucracy. Generally doctors are the ones that need to give PBS sanctioned (or whatever it is) scripts so you don't pay through your nose, and instead get everybody else who pays taxes to do so for you.

Also, the government feels a need to know what medications you're taking. Responsible distribution of resources and all that jazz *cough*

These days, however, since alternative medicine is on the rise, I expect discretionary spending on naturopathic etc. etc. goods and services to have gone through the roof.

What bothers me is that every medical administrative system interface is spammed with specifically designated pharmaceutical advertisements even worse than almost every non-premium site on teh internetz. Next time you're in a doctor's office, try take a squiz at their computer screen. It's horrid.

 

[framed]

With insurance working the way it does patients and doctors have no incentive to say "that pill isnt worth it", since neither of them is paying for the medicine. In that respect we are over medicated, since the decision to medicate rarely gets legitimate scrutiny. Thats also the reason healthcare costs are spiriling out of control. The menu of medical treatments is ever increasing, and none of the decision makers ever gets the bill.