Medicine is one of the greatest tools we have — when used wisely, it supports healing, performance, and longevity. But as with any tool, it must be applied with awareness, respect, and discernment.
At Aruka, we call this Authentic Medicine: partnering with your healthcare team wisely, asking the right questions, and recognizing that medication is not the start and end of health — it’s one part of a broader system rooted in lifestyle, recovery, and stewardship.
The Landscape of Prescription Medication in the U.S.
Before we talk strategy, it’s worth understanding the scale of medication use in our culture:
- The average American man will spend 48% of his life taking prescription drugs, and the average woman about 60% of hers.¹
- In 2019, the U.S. spent approximately $1,126 per person on prescription drugs, compared to an average of $552 in comparable developed countries.²
- Prescription drug prices in the U.S. are, on average, 2.78 times higher than in 33 other OECD nations.³
- Over 40% of adults take five or more prescriptions daily, a phenomenon known as polypharmacy.⁴
These statistics don’t mean medicine is bad — they simply emphasize that we must approach medication use with awareness and stewardship, ensuring that treatment supports true restoration rather than dependence.
Why “Being Sensible” Matters
When medications are accepted or combined without inquiry, you risk:
- Overlooking side effects or interactions between drugs.
- Using a medication long-term when it was intended for short-term use.
- Failing to evaluate long-term study outcomes or population data.
- Replacing healthy lifestyle habits with pharmaceutical dependency.
We honor physicians and medical professionals — their education and expertise are indispensable. But authentic healthrequires partnership.
Ask questions. Learn. Participate in your plan. Doctors appreciate engaged patients who take ownership of their health.
Key Questions to Ask Your Doctor
The following questions help you approach any new or existing medication responsibly:
- What is the purpose of this medication?
- What specific outcome are we targeting?
- Is it short-term, or intended for indefinite use?
- What are the possible side effects — both short and long term?
- What symptoms should I watch for?
- How common are those side effects?
- How might this medication interact with others I’m currently taking?
- Could there be additive or opposing effects?
- Should I adjust supplements, caffeine, or alcohol intake?
- What does the long-term data say?
- Has this drug been studied for years of use, or mainly short durations?
- Are there known long-term risks?
- What is the exit plan?
- How will we know when to taper or discontinue?
- Are there markers we’ll monitor to guide that decision?
- Are there non-medication strategies that support this goal?
- Could changes in nutrition, exercise, or sleep reduce my need for medication?
- How will we integrate those lifestyle steps into the plan?
- How will we track progress and side effects?
- What labs, check-ins, or follow-up visits are needed?
- Who reviews the results and adjusts dosage if needed?
The Role of Lifestyle, Not Replacement
Medication should complement, not replace, foundational health practices.
Within the Aruka 7 Pillars of Health, Authentic Medicine intersects directly with Nutrition, Restoration, and Inner Person.
The stronger these foundations are — movement, hydration, recovery, stress management, community, and spiritual alignment — the less strain falls on pharmaceuticals to do all the work.
Healthy systems respond better to medications, often at lower doses and with fewer complications.
Risks of Overmedication
- Polypharmacy: Taking multiple prescriptions increases the chance of drug-to-drug interactions and cognitive decline.⁴
- Side-Effect Cascade: One drug’s side effect often leads to another prescription — and another.
- Masking Root Causes: Medication can cover up lifestyle issues like poor sleep, inactivity, or poor diet.
- Financial Stress: The U.S. leads the world in per-person medication spending, adding unnecessary burden to families.²
A Path for Sensible Application
- Keep an Updated Medication List
Include every prescription, supplement, and over-the-counter medication. Review it with each provider. - Request a Medication Review Yearly
Ask your primary physician or pharmacist to review necessity, dosage, and possible reductions. - Track Your Body’s Feedback
Write down how you feel daily — energy, digestion, sleep, pain, and focus. Share patterns with your physician. - Ask the Hard Questions, Respectfully
Honor your doctor’s expertise, but remember: this is your body and your responsibility. Partnership is the key to authentic care.
Final Thought
Authentic Medicine is not anti-doctor — it’s pro-discernment.
When you ask the right questions, you protect your health, build trust, and gain clarity.
Your doctor provides medical expertise.
You provide insight, feedback, and ownership.
Together, that’s real health — authentic medicine in motion.
Ask. Understand. Apply. Reassess.
That’s the Aruka way — medicine as partnership, not dependence.
References
- U.S. Pharmacist. Americans Take Prescriptions a Large Portion of Their Lives. 2019. https://www.uspharmacist.com/article/americans-take-prescriptions-a-large-portion-of-their-lives
- Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker. How do prescription drug costs in the United States compare to other countries? 2019. https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/chart-collection/how-do-prescription-drug-costs-in-the-united-states-compare-to-other-countries/
- Mulcahy, A.W., et al. Comparing Prescription Drug Prices in the United States and Other OECD Countries. JAMA Network Open. 2022;5(8):e2228963. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11147645/
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Polypharmacy Among Adults Aged 65 and Over: United States, 2015–2018. NCHS Data Brief No. 421. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db421.htm
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