Americans take more painkillers now than ever, according to a AP analysis of a DEA report. The amount of 5 major painkillers rose 88% between 1997 and 2005 with Oxycodone accounting for much of the gains. According to the article, Missouri, Ohio, Florida, West Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee have high rates of sale for painkillers. Why the increase? According to the study:

_The population is getting older. As age increases, so does the need for pain medications. In 2000, there were 35 million people older than 65. By 2020, the Census Bureau estimates the number of elderly in the U.S. will reach 54 million.

_Drugmakers have embarked on unprecedented marketing campaigns. Spending on drug marketing has gone from $11 billion (€8.2 billion) in 1997 to nearly $30 billion (€22.4 billion) in 2005, congressional investigators found. Profit margins among the leading companies routinely have been three and four times higher than in other Fortune 500 industries.

_A major change in pain management philosophy is now in its third decade. Doctors who once advised patients that pain is part of the healing process began reversing course in the early 1980s; most now see pain management as an important ingredient in overcoming illness.

I wonder if alternative medicine is also seeing huge growth in the “pain management” area too? If not, I suppose that shows that advertising works wonders.

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