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Approximately 25% of all reported medication errors result from some kind of name confusion.
Pink eye is a term that refers to conjunctivitis, which is inflammation of the thin, clear membrane (conjunctiva) over the white part of the eye (sclera). It may be triggered by a virus, bacteria, or foreign body in the eye. Antibiotic eye drops alleviate bacterial conjunctivitis, and antihistamine allergy pills or eye drops help control allergic conjunctivitis symptoms.
In the United States, an estimated 50 million unnecessary antibiotics are prescribed for viral respiratory infections.
In 2012, nearly 24 milliion Americans, aged 12 and older, had abused an illicit drug, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).
Cancer has been around as long as humankind, but only in the second half of the twentieth century did the number of cancer cases explode.