Pharmakeia: America’s Seniors Are Being Overmedicated Into Oblivion

Authored by Michael Snyder via The Economic Collapse blog,

Many seniors who were once vibrant and full of life are now mere shadows of their former selves. It’s easy to attribute this decline to old age and assume that nothing out of the ordinary is happening.

However, the harsh reality is that in many cases, America’s seniors are deteriorating because they are being overmedicated. Our healthcare system is built around pushing pills, so when seniors seek medical help, medication is usually the go-to solution. The number of seniors taking at least 8 pharmaceutical drugs is alarmingly high, and those consuming a cocktail of drugs daily for an extended period are likely to face severe consequences.

Not many people realize that terms like “pharmacy” and “pharmaceutical” originate from the Greek word “pharmakeia”…

The word “pharmacy” has a fascinating origin story that’s as complex as the practice itself.

It comes from the Greek word “pharmakeia”, which referred to “the practice of the druggist”. But here is the twist: “phármakon”, the root of the term, was a double-edged sword – it meant a plant or herb that could be used for either healing or harmful purposes, blurring the line between medicine and poison.

No society in history has taken “pharmakeia” to the extremes we have.

We are the most medicated nation globally, especially among seniors.

The Wall Street Journal interviewed an 83-year-old woman, Barbara Schmidt, who had “filled prescriptions for more than a dozen different drugs in the past year”…

Barbara Schmidt’s family had long suspected an illness causing her frequent, bone-breaking falls. However, it turned out that her falls might have been linked to the numerous medications she was taking to improve her health.

In the past year, Schmidt, residing in Lewes, Del., with her husband of 65 years, had filled prescriptions for over a dozen different drugs, according to pharmacy and medical records.

Considering the multitude of medications she took in a short time, it’s almost miraculous that she’s still alive today.

Unfortunately, her case is not unique.

The Wall Street Journal found that one out of every six seniors in Medicare’s drug benefit program had been prescribed at least 8 different pharmaceutical drugs…

This is a common occurrence among America’s seniors, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis of Medicare data. One in six of the 46 million seniors enrolled in Medicare’s drug benefit, which covers most drugs taken by older Americans, were prescribed eight or more medications.

Millions of seniors are essentially being medicated into oblivion.

One issue is that seniors often see multiple physicians, leading to confusion…

Pharmacists working with seniors note that doctors may not be aware of their patients’ full medication list. Patients may not always disclose prescriptions from other doctors during consultations, and specialists may lack access to shared medical records.

The Journal’s analysis revealed that among seniors taking eight or more drugs, prescriptions often came from numerous doctors.

However, it’s not just seniors facing overmedication.

A recent survey found that 70% of U.S. adults are currently taking at least one pharmaceutical drug, with nearly a quarter taking at least four pharmaceutical drugs…

Recent CivicScience poll results indicate a significant shift in maintenance prescription drug use in the U.S. Seventy percent of U.S. adults report taking at least one prescription medication daily, a 14-percentage-point increase from 2019 data.

Moreover, the percentage of people taking four or more prescription medications daily in the US has risen by six percentage points, from 18% to 24%. The growing number of prescriptions leaves little room in budgets already strained by inflation.

It’s an immensely profitable industry, evident in the proliferation of pharmaceutical drug ads on television.

The pharmaceutical companies target seniors as they are the most vulnerable.

According to CDC data, 89% of Americans aged 65 or older are taking at least one pharmaceutical drug…

Among adults aged ≥65 years, men (89.0%) and women (89.3%) were equally likely to take prescription medication. Prescription medication use increased with age, from 48.4% for those aged 18–44 years to 89.2% for those aged ≥65 years, and this pattern of increasing use with age was observed for both men and women.

We consume more pharmaceutical drugs than any other nation.

So why is our life expectancy below average compared to other industrialized nations?

This is a critical question.

Seniors often aren’t adequately informed about the potential side effects of the medications they are prescribed during doctor visits.

Take Zoloft, for example, the top antidepressant in the U.S., with a long list of side effects that many users may not be aware of.

Here are some of the side effects listed on the official Zoloft website…

ZOLOFT may cause serious side effects. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any of the following symptoms, or call 911 if there is an emergency.

1. Suicidal thoughts or actions:

ZOLOFT and other antidepressant medicines may increase suicidal thoughts or actions in some people 24 years of age and younger, especially within the first few months of treatment or when the dose is changed.

Depression or other serious mental illnesses are the most important causes of suicidal thoughts or actions.

Watch for these changes and call your healthcare provider right away if you notice new or sudden changes in mood, behavior, actions, thoughts, or feelings, especially if severe.

Pay particular attention to such changes when ZOLOFT is started or when the dose is changed.

Keep all follow-up visits with your healthcare provider and call between visits if you are worried about symptoms.

2. Call a doctor right away if you or a person you know who is taking ZOLOFT has any of the following symptoms, especially if they are new, worse, or worry you:

-thoughts about suicide or dying
-attempts to commit suicide
-new or worse depression
-new or worse anxiety
-feeling very agitated or restless
-panic attacks
-trouble sleeping (insomnia)
-new or worse irritability
-acting aggressive, being angry, or violent
-acting on dangerous impulses
-an extreme increase in activity and talking (mania)
-other unusual changes in behavior or mood

3. Serotonin Syndrome. This condition can be life-threatening and symptoms may include:

-agitation, hallucinations, coma, or other changes in mental status
-racing heartbeat, high or low blood pressure
-coordination problems or muscle twitching (overactive reflexes)
-nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea
-sweating or fever
-muscle rigidity

4. Increased chance of bleeding: ZOLOFT and other antidepressant medicines may increase your risk of bleeding or bruising, especially if you take the blood thinner warfarin (COUMADIN®, JANTOVEN®), a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAIDs, like ibuprofen or naproxen), or aspirin.

5. Manic episodes. Symptoms may include:

-greatly increased energy
-racing thoughts
-unusually grand ideas
-severe trouble sleeping
-reckless behavior
-excessive happiness or irritability
-talking more or faster than usual

6. Seizures or convulsions.

7. Glaucoma (angle-closure glaucoma). ZOLOFT may cause a certain type of eye problem called angle-closure glaucoma. Call your healthcare provider if you have eye pain, changes in your vision, or swelling or redness in or around the eye. Only some people are at risk for these problems. You may want to undergo an eye examination to see if you are at risk and receive preventative treatment if you are.

8. Changes in appetite or weight.

9. Low salt (sodium) levels in the blood. Elderly people may be at greater risk for this. Symptoms may include headache, weakness or feeling unsteady, confusion, problems concentrating or thinking, or memory problems.

10. Sexual problems (dysfunction). Taking selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), including ZOLOFT, may cause sexual problems.

Many other drugs list “death” as a potential side effect.

Earlier this year, it was reported that adverse reactions to pharmaceutical drugs have become the third leading cause of death in the United States…

In 2021, the American Society of Pharmacovigilance (ASP) launched the Fourth Cause Campaign to raise awareness that adverse drug events (ADEs) were the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. Today, new data confirm a troubling and unacceptable reality—ADEs have now surged to become the third leading cause of death. An internal analysis conducted by ASP projects that adverse drug events now account for over 250,000 deaths annually, surpassing stroke and respiratory disease, making it the third leading cause of death in the United States.

This situation is a national tragedy.

However, mainstream news outlets are unlikely to give it much attention since pharmaceutical companies are major advertisers.

Furthermore, politicians are unlikely to advocate for significant reform because pharmaceutical companies contribute substantial funds to their campaigns.

Money equals power, and the pharmaceutical industry is swimming in wealth.

If you’re expecting significant change, you may be waiting a long time.

Michael’s latest book, “10 Prophetic Events That Are Coming Next,” is now available in paperback on Amazon.com, and you can subscribe to his Substack newsletter at michaeltsnyder.substack.com.