Drugs anyone? Just go to the doctor!

It has probably not gone unnoticed by we Aussies that whenever we read the latest "No Idea" or watch "ET" - and here I'm referring to "Entertainment Tonight" not "ET Go Home", that prescription medication addiction is rife in the good old US of A.  According to statistics, Utah has the highest rate of depression and prescription medication addiction in the country.  Now this seems a little odd for a state that is made up predominantly of Mormons who are not allowed to drink tea (I know, tea!), coffee or alcohol, but let me tell you, if I couldn't have a coffee and a glass of wine every now and then, I'd be severely depressed too.  I agree with The Sunday Mail's Frances Whiting when she says that the most stressful time of the day is five minutes to wine o'clock! 

But I'm at a loss as to how people get addicted to prescription medication.  I mean, how does one get so much medication that it causes one to become addicted to it?  Apparently, they go to the doctor - and not just one - many. Surely when someone goes to the chemist to get their third bottle of Oxycontin in one month, isn't there some kind of database that alerts the pharmacist that this person might have a problem? And shouldn't that person be reported?  Now, I'm not sure if we in Australia have Oxycontin, but here, it is prescribed like they are lollies.  Oxycontin is a pain killer, but is also narcotic - so it is addictive.  Millions of Americans are getting addicted to this and other narcotics.  Everyone I speak to here has a family relative or knows someone who is in rehab for alcohol or drug addiction and Americans look at me strangely when I say I don't know anyone back home who is in rehab.  While I know Australia has the same problems as many other western countries, I think we are lucky or maybe it's because we only have 24 million people, but ultimately, I think it's because Australia still has a naivety which is refreshing and which I hope we keep.  And they start young here - parents are giving their children sleeping tablets.

Prescription medication is also advertised on TV - all the time!  But rather than being informed, one can only stare at the TV screen with a look of what might be described as confusion, because after about 10 seconds of describing what the medication is for, you will then hear about 20 seconds of warnings. Take for instance, an ad for Celebrex, which is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory.  The warnings go something like this:

Celebrex and other NSAID medicines can cause stomach ulcers that bleed. The chance of this serious problem increases the longer you take Celebrex and with higher doses of Celebrex. Stomach bleeding can also happen suddenly while you take Celebrex. Stop taking Celebrex and call your healthcare provider right away if you get: 

• a burning stomach pain 
• black bowel movements that look like tar 
• vomit that looks like blood or coffee grounds 

Celebrex and other NSAID medicines can cause serious allergic reactions that include swelling of the face, lips, tongue or throat. 

Now I don't know about you, but if my doctor prescribed this medication, I'd need another prescription for anti-anxiety.  I mean, "vomit that looks like blood or coffee grounds"?

You can only imagine the warnings for Cialis (like Viagra), one of which says that if you have an erection for more than four hours, to call your doctor.  My husband said that he used to say, "why waste that call on a doctor?"