Run of the Mill

My American Studies class is reading a book by Don Delillo, White Noise, a novel following the life of Jack Gladney, a professor who has made his name by pioneering the field of "Hitler Studies". In the first section of the book, "Waves and Radiation", Delillo addresses many themes regarding American life such as our culture's obsession with death and sex.

However, Delillo also addresses America's obsession with supplements when describing a conversation made between Jack and his step daughter Denise. After Denise asks Jack what daily supplements he uses, he tells her that he takes "blood pressure pills, stress pills, allergy pills, eye drops, aspirin. Run of the mill" (62). What initially struck me about this passage was not only that Jack takes so many pills, but that he finds his regiment  normal, or rather "Run of the mill".
I don't usually think about how many pills I take, but it's really shocking how many daily, or "normal", pills Americans have access to.
Using my household as an example, I can think of hundreds of pills, prescribed and over-the-counter, that fill our medicine cabinets. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, "at least half of all Americans take at least one prescription drug, with one in six taking three or more medications" (SOURCE).  If half of Americans take at least 1 prescription drug, how many of us take over-the-counter medication daily? With pain relievers, vitamins, and every pill imaginable on the market, I would say it's a lot higher than 50%.
So why does America seem to be the most medicated nation? In a nation with clean water, food, and basic needs easily accessible, I doubt it's because we need the most medication. Delillo constantly mentions the influences of the media scattered throughout daily life, and perhaps this is just another example of media influence.
Do we take pills because we need them, or because we're told we need them?