Pill Poppers: Are Prescription Drugs Really Beneficial?

Pill Poppers: Are Prescription Drugs Really Beneficial? Story at-a-glance. By Dr. Mercola The average person may be prescribed 14,000 pills (this doesn’t even include over-the-counter meds) and by the time you reach your 70s you could be taking five or more pills every day, according to Pill Poppers, a documentary Pill Poppers takes you on a journey through some of the most popular drugs in the world, from the ADHD drug Ritalin to drugs for erectile dysfunction, depression, pain and contraception, asking: are these pills really beneficial, or are they doing more harm than good? Many people assume that the medications they’re taking are exerting carefully designed effects on their biological functions; in reality, these effects were not designed but rather observed – often simply as a matter of dumb luck Virtually no drug is side effect-free and these side effects are often treated with even more drugs, perpetuating a viscous cycle Before taking a medication, it is important to assess whether the short- and long-term risks outweigh the benefits, and whether there are less toxic, non-drug alternatives available