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More Americans take prescription drugs: CDC - Health-Care - Pharmaceuticals - Personal Finance: "The scrutiny began with Merck's recall of the painkiller Vioxx in late September after a study linked it to increased risk of heart attack and stroke.
But the FDA has come under fire for other recalls such as that of Baycol in 2001. Yet that, along with other safety scandals such as that over hormone-replacement therapy, haven't deterred consumers' interest or faith in prescription drugs, said Heather Hartley, assistant professor of sociology at Portland State University in Portland, Ore.
'People tend to believe that if something's FDA-approved it's proven to be safe,' she said. 'It simply isn't the case.'
'We are one of only two nations in the entire world where drugs are peddled like toothpastes,' Hartley said, noting New Zealand is the only other country that allows direct-to-consumer advertising. 'In some cases the drugs are lifesavers and people do have choice, but the emphasis on choice serves to disguise that a lot of what people are taking are just what happens to be marketed the best.'"