Re:After Surgery in Germany, I Wanted Vicodin, Not Herbal Tea
by chimeracoder on Sunday January 28, 2018 @06:22PM
(#16254215)
> Approximately 80 percent of the global opioid supply is consumed in the United States, which represents only 5 percent of the global population
That article is borderline irresponsible with how it reports that metric.
80% of global prescription opiate medications are filled in the US, but that doesn't mean that 80% of those prescriptions are consumed in the US (or consumed at all). Nor does it include no-prescription opiates, which are generally much easier to obtain in most countries around the world (and also a lot cheaper) than their prescription counterparts.
That article is borderline irresponsible with how it reports that metric.
80% of global prescription opiate medications are filled in the US, but that doesn't mean that 80% of those prescriptions are consumed in the US (or consumed at all). Nor does it include no-prescription opiates, which are generally much easier to obtain in most countries around the world (and also a lot cheaper) than their prescription counterparts.