Prescription Drugs vs. Supplements: An Inconvenient Truth

“The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest his patient in the care of the human frame, in diet and in the cause and prevention of disease.”
– Thomas Edison

We recently came across some data showing that in 2020 alone, 6.3 billion prescriptions were filled in the U.S. 
 
That’s equal to 19 prescriptions per American.
 
There are 19,000 prescription drugs approved for sale by the FDA, with statins for lowering cholesterol, analgesics for pain management, and antidepressants for mood disorders among the most prescribed medications. 
 
An estimated 66% of all adults in the U.S. use prescription drugs with total net spending on medicine expected to reach up to $400 billion by 2025.

With numbers like these, it's no surprise that people are becoming more interested in exploring natural alternatives. 

So, we looked at how these numbers compared to vitamin and supplement trends.
 
Look at the top result we got when we searched for how much people are spending on supplements...

That's a pretty bold claim, Harvard.

The article blames "clever marketing" for the increase in supplement sales.

We don't watch much television ourselves, but when's the last time you saw an advertisement for a multivitamin? An herbal supplement? 

Meanwhile, every other commercial seems to be for some drug..."Having x,y,z symptoms? Make sure to ask your doctor about this drug!"

Did you know that the U.S. and New Zealand are the only countries that allow direct advertising of pharmaceutical drugs to consumers?

It's no wonder the U.S. uses the most pharmaceutical drugs compared to anywhere else in the world (yet we don't even make the top 20 healthiest countries list).

 
Anyway, here’s what Americans are actually spending on supplements and alternative healthcare.
 
We collectively spend about $30 billion on complementary health approaches, with a mean annual expenditure of $442 to complementary practitioners such as chiropractors, acupuncturists, etc.; $369 on supplements and natural products; and $241 on self-care approaches.
 
That’s about $1,000 per year for all complementary and natural health care. 
 
For reference, the average annual health insurance premium is $8,435 for a single person. 
 
We’ll let you come to your own conclusions.
 
But we don’t think your spending on chiropractic or supplements is the problem.

We hope this message gets your wheels turning. 
 
It’s our mission to help you be Proactive and live your healthiest, most vibrant life.

Have an amazing week, 
Drs. Mike & Natalie