It’s hard to think of any industry that’s enjoyed more success over the past twenty years or so than big pharma. More than 131 million people — that’s two-thirds of all adults in the United States — report that they’re taking at least one prescription drug. That’s a significant increase from the year 2000, when around half of American adults said they were doing so.
The percentage of people taking five or more prescription drugs has nearly doubled since the turn of the century. Spending on prescription drugs in that period has more than tripled. Drugs that supposedly treat psychological issues — like unhappiness, or a lack of self-control — have done especially well. From 1991 to 2018, SSRI prescriptions increased by over 3,000 percent. Roughly half the country either takes the potentially mind-altering drug Ozempic to lose weight, or knows someone taking it.
.png)
.png)
