Prescription Drugs in America- More than the cost

This Photo is going around Facebook.  It is true, but it only touches the tip of the story.  We pay far more for prescriptions in the US than other nations.  

About $1000 per person per year, but that's in part because WE ARE PRESCRIBED MORE Drugs.  By a lot.  Thats right.  

Why do americans have so many damn prescriptions too? Overall, Americans use more medicines than people in other developed countries. They rank first for their use of antipsychotics as well as drugs for dementia, respiratory problems and rheumatoid arthritis. This is partly explained by medical needs: The burden of disease in the U.S. — as measured in “years of life lost” — is higher than in many OECD countries for the most common forms of heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s. Several factors may explain this, including high levels of obesity and high rates of diagnosis.  PBS summarized the high cost of prescriptions, but only touched on the over-prescribing.  http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/americans-spend-much-pharmaceuticals/