Paxil and Other Antidepressants are the Most Common Prescriptions Written in the U.S.
According to an article published in the Las Vegas Review-Journal, antidepressants now top the list of the most prescribed drugs in the United States.
Numbers Have Doubled
According to figures contained in a study conducted by the Archives of General Psychiatry, The number of antidepressant prescriptions written between 1996 and 2005 doubled, going from 5.84 percent of the population to 10.12 percent. That translates into a jump from 13.3 million individuals taking antidepressants to 27 million, including children. Another report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention containing data from 2006 to 2008 states that one in 10 adults in the U.S. suffers from depression.
Role of Talk Therapy Diminishing
Many mental health professionals are concerned that antidepressants have become a cure-all for everyone. Dr. Norton Roitman, a Las Vegas psychiatrist thinks, “We live in a fast-paced culture, so people think they can get rid of bad feelings just by swallowing. They think they don’t have to make an effort.”
Another Las Vegas physician, Dr. Ole Thienhaus, believes, “These medications have been authorized to be prescribed for anxiety, which is a very broad field. Paxil started that for social anxiety disorder, so even extreme shyness can be treated with these drugs. Once you start down that road, you find more and more things. If you have a nice hammer, you find more and more nails.”
Dr. Thienhaus continues, “I think we have a fair number of psychiatrists, including in [Las Vegas] who never practiced a different style than just a 10- to 15-minute visit, a prescription for medication and out the door, and that’s a horrible way of practicing if you ask me.”
Dr. Roitman is quick to blame insurance coverage and high public expectations: “Insurance companies design the practice of psychiatry based on financial reimbursement for what they believe is an appropriate use of a psychiatrist, which more and more is just payment for a medical diagnosis.”
Since many health insurance plans do not include psychiatric coverage, many patients turn instead to their primary care physicians, who will more than likely just write a prescription for an antidepressant. The cost of a visit to a primary care doctor and a prescription for a drug like Paxil are often a fraction of the cost of one session with a psychotherapist.
Patients Should Weigh Risks and Benefits of Antidepressants
Although there are many legitimate prescriptions written for Paxil and other antidepressants, a person who believes he or she may need to take this type of medication should consult with a primary care physician as well as a mental health professional before blindly accepting a prescription. Although antidepressants are well-tolerated for the most part, they do come with some inherent risks, especially to women who are pregnant. These concerns should be discussed before beginning a course of treatment.
Protect Your Rights as a Consumer
The Paxil lawyers at the Rottenstein Law Group have over 25 years of experience advocating for individuals in consumer product injury and mass tort cases. If you have been injured by your medication, and you believe you have cause to sue GlaxoSmithKline, the manufacturer of Paxil, fill out our contact form and one of our lawyers will be in touch.