According to Consumer Reports, 70% of Americans take prescription drugs, more than people in any other country in the world. The average American takes 12 different prescribed drugs in a year. The opportunities for adverse reactions to prescription drugs is greater than ever.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration report that 1.3 million people went to emergency rooms in 2014 due to adverse drug reactions, and of those, at least 124,000 died. Research from the IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics concludes that more than $200 billion is spent on the unnecessary and improper use of medications and the associated costs.
