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Controversy Over Prozac Useage

Although medical evidence suggests that Prozac has many benefits, there is potential for widespread abuse of this drug because the public perceives it as a panacea. Critics of Prozac claim its marketers pander to the American desire for a quick fix for personality disorders as evidenced by the popularity of Valium in the 1950s and cocaine in the 1980s. Prozac has become the glamour drug of the 1990s because it promises to deliver society from its private ills, sans the struggle involved in acquiring effective coping strategies to deal with life's problems.

Prozac was invented and marketed by Eli Lilly in 1988 and became an instant success. The number of Prozac prescriptions jumped from 2.5 million in 1988 to 9.6 million in 1992 (Brink, 1993, p. 76). Prozac is currently the top-selling drug among health maintenance organizations (HMOs) and the second-ranking drug in overall, nationwide sales (Chase, 1995, p. B1). In 1993, sales for Prozac reached $1.2 billion worldwide with sales of $880 million in the United States alone (Turkington, 1994, p. 77).

Prozac falls into a category of drugs known as selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Also included in this category are Prozac's cousins, Paxil (paroxetine), Zoloft (sertraline), and Luvox (fluvoxamine). Prozac is the most popular of this category of drugs because it came on the market first.

Prozac is most widely prescribed in the treatment of depression and obsessive-compulsive disorders. The drug is also prescribed for anxiety or panic disorders, post-traumatic stress, and eating disorders. The controversy surrounding Prozac stems from its casual use as a drug to combat general unhappiness. Supporters of the drug contend that even casual use of Prozac is justified because common malaise can be a precursor to the mental disorder known as depression.

Understanding the nature of depression is critical in understanding the functioning of antidepressant dru...

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Controversy Over Prozac Useage. (1969, December 31). In LotsofEssays.com. Retrieved 10:05, March 29, 2024, from https://www.lotsofessays.com/viewpaper/1681132.html