Pharma-Ecology, 2nd Edition

2Most Prescribed Pharmaceuticals and Related Endpoints

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

1. Overview of pharmaceuticals that contribute more than 50% of all prescriptions in developed countries.
2. Mode of action, bioavailability, and side effects in relation to potential targets in the environment.
3. Comparative differences in efficacy as a basis for viable pharmaceutical compound alternatives.

Antihypertensives, sedatives, and analgesics account for more than 50% of all prescriptions in developed countries. Antihypertensives are for blood pressure and related complications, whereas sedatives and analgesics are for controlling or preventing pain and suffering as to improve quality of life. Blood pressure is based on the amount of blood the heart pumps vis‐à‐vis the amount of resistance to blood flow in the arteries. The more blood the heart pumps and the narrower the arteries are, the higher the blood pressure. High blood pressure condition develops in instances where the long‐term force of the blood against arterial walls increases, ultimately causing health problems, such as heart disease. Heart disease is a leading cause of death in many developed countries. Heart disease incidents are also increasing in developing countries owing to socioeconomic changes, increase in lifespan, and acquisition of lifestyle‐related risk factors (Gaziano et al. 2010).

Heart disease and related ailments have a strong relationship with hypertension. Treatment of individuals with arterial hypertension (i.e. ...