300 million prescriptions??
How can 300 million prescriptions be given each year for anti-depressants when the entire population of the US is slightly less than that? Or am I missing something?
shareSome people take several anti depressants. Or they use them and refill so if all 295 million of us were on AD pills and we each refilled twice a year (but its more like refilling once a month) that's 590 million prescriptions each year Now 1 in every 8 is clinically depressed and imagine if they all had to refill twice a year....so it could easily happen.
Run.
Antidepressants are not just used to treat clinical depression. They're used to treat other mental disorders as well, like anorexia, schizophrenia, etc. They are even used to treat some physical illnesses.
Having said that, far too many people are being wrongly prescribed antidepressants.
the 300 million thing had to be way off.
#1 divide it by 12. for the months in a year.
that would mean 25 million people on antidepressants.
out of 300 that is about 8% of people. that would be about half the people who suffer depression in a given year.
that would mean 8 out 11 depressives gets help. that is too high.
bonk!