The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-03-19
MILLIONS GO
FOR MEDICINE,
DRUGS IN U. S.
Huge Sums Are Expended
for QuaCk Remedies, Sur
vey by Doctors Proves.
By Times Special

By Times Special
WASHINGTON, March 1s.-The
people Of the United States spend
SITS, 100000 annually for drugs and
medicines, which constitutes about
20 per cent Of the national bill for
illness.
OF this amount, $3.50 ,0OO, 900 (26.6
per cent? is spent for medicine
prescribed by physicians; $165 ,0Oo, 900
OBI per cent? for nonSecret home
remedies, and $3.50, 900 900 (50.3 per
cent? for patent medicines" of
secret composition. These facts are
brought out in report issued by
the committee on the costs of med
ical care, of which DR.. Ray Lyman
Wilbur is chairman.
This report, THE Costs of Medi-
cineS," published by the University
OF Chicago Press, diScloSeS authentic
figures on the drug industry in this
country, obtained through a three
year study on the subject made for
the committee on the costs of med
ical care by DR.. R. P. Fischelis. vice
president of the American Pharma-
ceutical Association, and DR.. G.
Rufus Roren, formerly staff
member of the committee.
S22 For Each Family
1t was discovered that the aver
age expenditure for medicines is ap-
proximately $22 annually a family
Of four persons, or $3.50 a member.
Actual expenditures per capita
vary widely, however, and tend to
be highest in the cities.
Other important facts this survey
disclosed include the following:
Patients attempting to diagnose
their own ailments by comparilsS
their symptoms with those deScribc%
in patent medicine advertisements
frequently may forego proper
medical attention until it is too late
to effect cure.
Official medicines usually can
be purchased by the pharmacist for
fraction of the price of pro-
prietary medicines or ethical special
ties, with corresponding reduction
in price to the patient.
Although regulations governing
the pharmaceutical profession are
strict enough, the privileges of I'M
licensed persons operating outside
OF pharmacy are so extensive that
the public enjoys little protection
in the sales of packaged medicines.
NIL l..
While characterization is increaS-
ing, there is not available sufficient
information on which the public
can base its Judgment as to what
type of medicine safely may be used
for the treatment of simple and
minor conditions.
Drugs prescribed or dispensed
through doctors do not constitute a
large portion Of the total costs of
medical care. Physicians prescrip-
lions, plus the drugs dispensed in
doctors offices, average approx
mately $3.50 person a year.
1T is significant" the report
reads, that the costs of medicines
to patients still are lower when the
conditions of treatment permit a
physician to prescribe only such
medicines as he considers necessary
to good results"
Such conditions exist, according
to the report, where medical service
is rendered on an annual" rather
than fee, basis, as in industrial or
university health services.
LOOphoIe for Quacks
Few of the so-called patent
medicines" actually are registered
as to ingredients and granted pat
ents from the United States patent
Office. Most of them are protected
by trade names which become,
through registration and usage, the
property of the manufacturer or
distributor The formulas are secret.
The report states that $50 long
as secrecy of, composition is per-
Missile for medicines offered for
Standardization, and so long as the
public is kept in ignorance of the
proper uses and value of common
drugs, the quack will find some
method to ply his trade"
Expenditures for fraudulent cures
range from $15,000,o0O upward each
year.