The US and the general western overuse prescribed and over the counter medications. The usage of medications starts at the very beginning of people’s lives. As people grow, they are used for various purposes, such as birth control. Over the past years, the spending on prescription and over the counter drugs has significantly increased. The aging populations have contributed a part of the overuse. The aging population has age-related illnesses that require the use of drugs. Some old people have gone to an extent where they use five pills in a day. Medications are of significance to the treatment of diseases. Human chanced of living would have declined were it not to the antibiotics.
The usage of medicines has been changing over the years. The pharmaceutical industry has evolved, which has led to the development of several types of medications. Medicines are used by millions of people to prolong their lives. Unlike the 1950s, currently, family planning and reproduction medicines such as female contraceptives are easily available in the western. However, despite the benefits of medications in the treatment of diseases, some pills are not meant for treating diseases. Some people are considering pills for ending their lives, but that has been a debate topic. In the western majority of people have created a culture of using medicines at various points in their lives. For example, individuals opt for painkillers whenever they experience headaches. They fail to consider alternative methods such as taking rest as well as drinking some fluids. Old people are relying on medicines, and some are taking up to five pills a day. People depend on medicine more than ever before.
Most people are failing to consider alternative strategies where medications can be avoided. I think addressing illness by considering alternative strategies is a better alternative. For example, mental diseases can be addressed with psychotherapy instead of medications. Today, pills are for not only treating our bodies but also the mind.
The most commonly used prescribed and over the counter drugs in the US are pain relievers such as opioids. However, the long-term use of pain reliever is a major concern. Drug addiction occurs due to long term use of some pain relievers. People tend to become drug dependant as a result of continuous usage. Drug dependant, people can not act normally without the usage of drugs. Opioid may create a sense of pleasure and well being in some people because they affect the human brain. Medications addicts may opt to use the drugs in other ways instead of adhering to physician’s prescriptions. Drug resistance to bacteria has arisen as a result of unnecessary antibiotics prescriptions. Bacteria can mutate and be resistant to some antibiotics that were developed to destroy them.
Finally, I feel it is not a good idea to allow some drug substances to be used in a recreational, free, and more generic basis. Some drugs, such as Ritalin, are used to assist students in their academic pursuits. It is indisputable that the drugs are beneficial, but we have to consider their long-term effects.
Every day, half of Americans consume dietary supplements. The consumption of supplements is significantly high in the United States. I feel that the FDA has not done enough to ensure that consumers access safe and secure dietary supplements. FDA loosely regulates the food supplements because the authority intervenes only when there are consumer complaints about the harm caused by food supplements. The authority is not allowed to review the effectiveness as well as the safety of food supplements before the products are marketed. It only ensures that manufacturers follow good practices. The research on the safety and security of food supplements is limited by resources and information. However, the FDA fails to know the exert a number of supplements manufactures and puts the blame on lack of formal registrations.
FDA was formed to ensure that there is a consumption of secure and safe supplement products. After customers complain, the products are not immediately withdrawn from the market. FDA has to research to acquire evidence that the product poses a safety concern to the consumers. The process of getting rid of a certain dietary supplement from the market is complicated and can take quite some time. During this period, the product continues to cause harm to unsuspecting consumers. The FDA responds slowly about the quality of food supplements. At time consumers have complained about cases where FDA fail to respond to consumer complaints which seek directions.
The manufacturer tends to deny customer complaints about the quality of their products. When consumers purchase dietary, they feel that the products are safe.
Policies and practices need to be improved to ensure that there is a consumption of safe and secure food supplements. The policies have to strengthen the FDA as well as ensuring safety manufacturing practices. Policies about formal registration of dietary supplements have to be implemented to enable FDA to have information about manufacturers. It is apparent that there are legislation problems that manufactures are exploiting. At most times, the FDA takes actions only in situations where death due to consumption of a dietary supplement is reported. Regulation of dietary supplement manufactures can enhance safe manufacturing practices. Manufactures have to be responsible for the harmful effects created by their products.
The current systems, such as Medwatch, have safety control concerns. The methods have limited suitability for the safety of biological ingredients. New activities, such as DNA barcoding, have promising benefits. The new activities have the potential to detect each species in a complex multigradient product as well as processed mixtures. The current safety control activities are based on morphology and analytical techniques. Often, the techniques fail to identify every single ingredient in a dietary supplement. Herbal dietary supplements are manufactured with numerous supplements that pose quality control problems with the current system. The technology can be used to label products accurately. The technology is easier and cheaper to use because it can be applied all the way along the product supply chain. Finally, technology has changed my perception of the supplement industry. It has enlightened me about the reasons why it is difficult for the FDA to regulate the quality of products in the industry.