I think I remember a thread awhile back with those insane numbers.
Yes. Although personal responsibility is definitely a factor, doctor over-prescription plays a part.
I’m a bit sensitive to this because the same doctor that delivered me in 1954 was also responsible for my grandmother’s care in a nursing home (after a severe stroke). She was utterly lethargic and not really “there” when we would visit. This went on for a decade.
We eventually found out that he was terribly over-prescribing medication. Three things happened:
1. We got a different doctor who backed off her medications by a HUGE amount.
2. He lost the legal ability to prescribe drugs of any kind.
3. We got our grandmother back.
In many cases, it pays very well to prescribe drugs. That’s a problem.
It’s one of the reasons that at 64 I have no health care insurance. I’m self treating, self insured and trust the great healer.