Abstract
The ubiquitous presence of pharmaceuticals in our lives is underappreciated. In the United States between 2009 and 2012, almost half the population used at least one prescription drug and more than one in ten Americans used five or more prescription drugs within a 30-day period (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2015). The use of pharmaceuticals is so widespread that runoffs from incorrect disposal of drugs have become a pollutant in our drinking water. In 2009, researchers found 51 different pharmaceuticals from beta-blockers to antianxiety medications to anticonvulsants in 19 water treatment plants (Benotti et al. 2009). Environmental impacts are worrisome for sure, but the effects of drugs on us raise far deeper concerns.
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References
Benotti, M.J., R.A. Trenholm, B.J. Vanderford, J.C. Holady, B.D. Stanford, and S.A. Snyder. 2009. Pharmaceuticals and Endocrine Disrupting Compounds in U.S. Drinking Water. Environmental Science & Technology 43(3): 597–603.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2015. Therapeutic Drug Use. http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/drug-use-therapeutic.htm. Accessed 23 May 2015.
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Acknowledgments
I want to extend my deep gratitude to Provost Doug Pisano and Dean Delia Anderson of MCPHS University, who helped secure my sabbatical. Without their assistance, I would not have had the necessary time to undertake this project. I would also like to thank the Institute of Medical Humanities at the University of Texas Medical Branch, who awarded me a visiting fellowship in the spring of 2015. Their support was indispensable. In addition, I am grateful for the support I received as a visiting scholar at University of Akureyri in Iceland. Professor Sigurður Kristinsson was not only a great host and helpful colleague, but he has also become a dear friend.
The editing help I received from Peter Leo made finishing this project possible. His editorial instincts and sharp mind spotted improvements that I would have missed. My assistant Amanda Braconnier took care of some of the most demanding and tedious tasks with grace and aplomb. I am deeply grateful for her help. Finally, I dedicate this book to my wife Jane Leo whose comments on my essay and the introduction helped sharpen my thoughts. I also thank her for taking care of our feline daughters Sophie and Wilma while I was away for my visiting posts.
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Ho, D. (2017). Introduction. In: Ho, D. (eds) Philosophical Issues in Pharmaceutics. Philosophy and Medicine, vol 122. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-0979-6_1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-0979-6_1
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