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It is believed that the Incas used anesthesia. Evidence supports the theory that shamans chewed cocoa leaves and drilled holes into the heads of patients (letting evil spirits escape), spitting into the wounds they made. The mixture of cocaine, saliva, and resin numbed the site enough to allow hours of drilling.
For pediatric patients, intravenous fluids are the most commonly cited products involved in medication errors that are reported to the USP.
In the United States, an estimated 50 million unnecessary antibiotics are prescribed for viral respiratory infections.
Illicit drug use costs the United States approximately $181 billion every year.
In 2010, opiate painkllers, such as morphine, OxyContin®, and Vicodin®, were tied to almost 60% of drug overdose deaths.