Forbes magazine has ranked West Virginia as the most medicated state in the nation.
West Virginians use the most retail prescription drugs per capita, according to the report.
The business magazine found that states with older and sicker populations tend to use more prescriptions.
West Virginia has the highest rate of adult arthritis in the country as well as high rates of tobacco use and obesity.
The state had 17.2 retail prescriptions filled per capita, followed by Missouri, 15.9, Tennessee, 15.8, Alabama, 15.7, and Kentucky, 15.4.
The least medicated states are Alaska, California and Hawaii.
The magazine used 2006 data from the Kaiser Family Foundation and a national-level prescription and patient tracking service.
In February, a Blue Cross Blue Shield report also found that West Virginia lead the nation in prescriptions per capita.
To view the report, click here.
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I work for the state of WV. WV state workers are the lowest payed in the US. Highest taxed. We received a 3% raise this year. Now our insuance is going to raise. More than 3% you can bet.
Unless someone is living in a cave, they know of some young person 'snorting' pills or dead from them.