Year End Research!

As another year draws to a close, here's a preview of what I expect to see more of in 2010.  The negative impact that the misuse and overuse of drugs is having on our global health can no longer be swept under the media carpet. 

A recent article that focuses on the state of antibiotic-resistance in Europe (1) by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) states "If this wave of antibiotic resistance gets over us, we will not be able to do organ transplants, hip replacements, cancer chemotherapy, intensive care, and neo-natal care for premature babies."  According to this article, each year these microbes (sometimes referred to as superbugs) are responsible for 400,000 infections, 2.5 million hospital days and 25,000 deaths, and that's in Europe alone!  The culprits are the same as they were decades ago: medical doctors who keep prescribing antibiotics for viruses (colds and flu) even though they know antibiotics will have no effect.  This situation is costing Europe more than $1.3 billion in hospital stays and another $900 million in lost productivity per year.  Doctors mis-prescribe the antibiotics to save them the time and hassle of educating their patients.  The drug companies make billions selling the stuff and the European economy is stuck paying the tab. 

In the USA this scenario is no different than in Europe, except that here, it's actually worse (something I haven't exactly been quiet about).  This country is pumping out drugs with limited research and then holding its collective breath to see what the long-term adverse side effects will be once the drugs begin being used by the masses.  The strategy seems to be to sell now and factor in the expenses related to the cost of a certain number of lawsuits, recalls, etc., as a cost of doing business (remember Vioxx?)  What is lost in the quest for the dollar is the price unsuspecting patients pay in terms of their health. 

Again, I believe this is something you will read and hear a lot more of in the next year - and the year after that etc., until something is done to change this horrific situation.  Fortunately, the chiropractic approach remains a reasonable and cost effective approach (think about it - when was the last time you saw a TV commercial by lawyers advertising to sue chiropractors?  You only see them wanting to sue over drugs and their side effects!)  In these times of profit maximization, make choices for health and wellness that make drugs unnecessary in your everyday life.  It's just one way to help ensure you'll have a happy and healthy new year.

1. Kelland K. "Antibiotic Overuse Threatens Modern Medicine: Experts." Reuters, Nov. 10, 2009.