The number of prescriptions that are filled each year continues to soar. According to statistics on Therapeutic Drug Use compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 50% of all Americans fill one prescription each month, and just over 10% fill five or more prescriptions each month.
This data also indicates that between visits to doctors offices, emergency rooms, and outpatient hospital care, nearly 3.5 billion prescriptions are written each year. This number does not include all of the patients who are prescribed medication as part of their inpatient care during a hospital stay.
Thyroid Hormones and Weight Loss Drugs Among the Most Frequently Prescribed Medications
While the number of prescriptions filled each year continues to grow, there are a number of health conditions for which there are natural and alternative therapies. Thyroid disorders are a prime example; levothyroxine is one of the top 100 drugs prescribed each year and is used to help patients with low thyroid function who do not produce enough thyroid hormone. It can also help control the size of the growths on the thyroid gland, known as goiters.