(NaturalNews) It's not unusual to see a long line at the pharmacy counter, where people walk away with all kinds of prescriptions. However, the latest statistics show that more people than you might realize are taking prescription drugs. According to a study that was recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), the number of people taking such meds has sharply increased in a relatively short time period.

An abstract from the JAMA article, titled "Trends in Prescription Drug Use Among Adults in the United States From 1999-2012," states that researchers set out to assess "prescription drug use among adults living in the United States." Almost 38,000 U.S. adults were studied during this time, and the shocking findings speak volumes about today's over-prescribed society. Specifically, polypharmacy – a term first coined in 1959 that referred to (and warned about) the use of five or more prescription drugs – increased significantly. "The prevalence of polypharmacy...increased from an estimated 8.2% in 1999-2000 to 15% in 2011-2012..." the JAMA abstract states.

Sad fact: In just over ten years, multiple pharmaceutical drug use doubled

To illustrate just how much of a jump that is, some basic math shows that it has more than doubled in just over ten years. Consider the fact that the 2000 U.S. population numbered 281,421,906. Multiply that by 8.2 percent, the reported use of multiple pharmaceuticals during that time, and you arrive at 23,076,596.292.

Now look at the population just 12 years later in 2012: 316,266,000. Multiply that by 15 percent, the reported use of multiple pharmaceuticals during that time, and you arrive at 47,439,900. In a nutshell, this shows that the number of people taking five or more pharmaceuticals has more than doubled in just a little over ten years.

Sadly, it's no surprise.

Big Pharma = big money = disregard for human health

The pharmaceutical market is a tremendous money-making powerhouse; between 1995 and 2010, drug company revenues surged over $200 billion.

Add to that the fact that many people are facing serious difficulties coming up with the funds to pay for their medications, especially when greed rears its ugly head. A perfect example of someone bent on taking advantage of the sick is that of that of Martin Shkreli of Turning Pharmaceuticals, who decided that raising the price of a drug used primarily by AIDS and cancer patients from $13.50 per tablet to $750 per tablet was a brilliant move. That's beyond absurd. It's unfair to people who are in desperate need to get their health on track and is demonstrative of a sick mind that thinks it's acceptable to do such a thing. How do people like him sleep at night?

The real shame of it all is that it's probably unlikely that Americans need to be taking the amount of pharmaceuticals that they are in the first place. This isn't to say that some aren't helpful and making a difference in lives, but at the same time, we seem to be a society that is quick to prescribe and pop pills at the drop of a hat. In doing so, we're masking our ailments instead of getting to the heart of the matter and in turn, further jeopardizing our health.

Forget pills and turn to healthy foods instead

If we really want to get our health on track, it's important that we question Big Pharma and everything in the medical community, from new-to-market drugs to the advice of our primary medical doctor. Research information and turn to NaturalNews and TruthWiki.org frequently for information that tells it like it is.

In doing so, people will learn that it's possible to realize health improvements not by getting prescriptions filled regularly, but by eating organic and non-GMO foods, cutting out processed meat, and enjoying more fruits and vegetables.

Sources for this article include:
JSOnline.com
JAMA.JAMANetwork.com
Census.gov^[PDF]
Census.gov^[PDF]
HuffingtonPost.com
NaturalNews.com