5 ms·

Not sure in this case, but some of the medications for which prescriptions are necessary in the U.S. are absolutely absurd. Where I live in another country, if

Not sure in this case, but some of the medications for which prescriptions are necessary in the U.S. are absolutely absurd. Where I live in another country, if you need many common medicines, you just walk into a pharmacy and ask for them. Done. I can understand clinically controlling sales of antibiotics and heavy pain killers or opiods but requiring a prescription for birth control pills, or prednisone, or so many other basic things that most people know how to use just fine? What infantalization in the name of paranoid "safety" theater.

amluto 5y ago
Prednisone? Prednisone is quite dangerous, especially if used improperly. Some forms of birth control have fairly common contraindications, and patients should arguably be screened. That being said, a pharmacist could do this.
- helloworld11 5y ago
  So is a kitchen knife, or a power drill, or a chainsaw, all of which can be bought in any hardware store or supermarket without special documents. There is a certain measure of simply letting people take personal risks that should be plausible and allowed in adult life. Antibiotics I can understand, because the resistance one creates within themself from improper use can affect others very badly. Likewise for opiods, which can cause people to lose personal control or coherence in situations such as driving down a highway at 100+ km per hour. For many other medications, the damage will be personal, and the choice should be as well. Your argument falls flat in the face of so many other things that you would also have to ban without written permission if prednisone or birth control pills were one of your baselines for prohibiting personal risk. Also, yes I know that prednisone is dangerous. I've been using it intermittently for a long time. I don't think anyone should have the right to treat me like a child on something so easy to learn responsibly.
  - joshjdr 5y ago
    > which can cause people to lose personal control or coherence in situations such as driving down a highway at 100+ km per hour What about alcohol? Should a prescription be required?
    - helloworld11 5y ago
      As per my original fundamental argument, no. But the amount of alcohol you need to consume in order to drive yourself into an early grave is quite a bit slower in the consumption process than rapidly overdosing on opioid pills. Likewise for consuming a lethal amount of alcohol in most cases. Also, alcohol is nowhere near as rapidly addictive as this particular medication.
refurb 5y ago
Prednisone can cause long term damage including osteoporosis and even psychiatric symptoms. Stopping it requires careful titration. Birth control pills have a high risk of serious blood clots in some women. The Rx means potential users need at least some screening and awareness of risks. Hilarious that you just dismiss actual medical risks as “safety theatre”.
- s1artibartfast 5y ago
  It is all a matter of perspective, risk tolerance, and risk responsibility. This is in fact how it works an many countries. Without judgment, it is clear that the US takes a more cautious approach than many. For example, you can get prednisone without an RX in Mexico for <$2
  - refurb 5y ago
    Without judgement is just silly. I lived in SE Asia and could buy drugs that had already been withdrawn from the US and EU markets due to “risk of sudden death”. That’s not risk tolerance it’s just neglect and ignorance, mostly due to poverty. Even with non-Rx birth control you usually need to ask the pharmacist for it and they do verbal screening.
    - s1artibartfast 5y ago
      I meant without judgment in the sense that I wasn't personally making one - I haven't read the literature on each drug.
- helloworld11 5y ago
  On both counts you're taking rare, slowly forming problems and grossly exaggerating their severity or risk of happening. I personally know numerous women in my country who take birth control pills without a prescription and they're fine, and have been for many years so far. They simply follow the label instructions. I've been taking prednisone without an obligatory prescription on and off for a long time and know a number of people who have had to take it too, without any serious problems. They just follow their doctor's basic instructions on its use. The required-prescription craze in the U.S is indeed in many ways paranoid safety theater, a constant rent-seeking process that often justifies itself in the name of nebulous safety scares. People don't need to be treated like children to nearly the degree you seem to favor for what are usually completely personal health choices which don't easily affect others directly. Enough.

amluto 5y ago

Prednisone? Prednisone is quite dangerous, especially if used improperly. Some forms of birth control have fairly common contraindications, and patients should arguably be screened. That being said, a pharmacist could do this.

helloworld11 5y ago
So is a kitchen knife, or a power drill, or a chainsaw, all of which can be bought in any hardware store or supermarket without special documents. There is a certain measure of simply letting people take personal risks that should be plausible and allowed in adult life. Antibiotics I can understand, because the resistance one creates within themself from improper use can affect others very badly. Likewise for opiods, which can cause people to lose personal control or coherence in situations such as driving down a highway at 100+ km per hour. For many other medications, the damage will be personal, and the choice should be as well. Your argument falls flat in the face of so many other things that you would also have to ban without written permission if prednisone or birth control pills were one of your baselines for prohibiting personal risk. Also, yes I know that prednisone is dangerous. I've been using it intermittently for a long time. I don't think anyone should have the right to treat me like a child on something so easy to learn responsibly.
- joshjdr 5y ago
  > which can cause people to lose personal control or coherence in situations such as driving down a highway at 100+ km per hour What about alcohol? Should a prescription be required?
  - helloworld11 5y ago
    As per my original fundamental argument, no. But the amount of alcohol you need to consume in order to drive yourself into an early grave is quite a bit slower in the consumption process than rapidly overdosing on opioid pills. Likewise for consuming a lethal amount of alcohol in most cases. Also, alcohol is nowhere near as rapidly addictive as this particular medication.

refurb 5y ago

Prednisone can cause long term damage including osteoporosis and even psychiatric symptoms. Stopping it requires careful titration. Birth control pills have a high risk of serious blood clots in some women. The Rx means potential users need at least some screening and awareness of risks. Hilarious that you just dismiss actual medical risks as “safety theatre”.

s1artibartfast 5y ago
It is all a matter of perspective, risk tolerance, and risk responsibility. This is in fact how it works an many countries. Without judgment, it is clear that the US takes a more cautious approach than many. For example, you can get prednisone without an RX in Mexico for <$2
- refurb 5y ago
  Without judgement is just silly. I lived in SE Asia and could buy drugs that had already been withdrawn from the US and EU markets due to “risk of sudden death”. That’s not risk tolerance it’s just neglect and ignorance, mostly due to poverty. Even with non-Rx birth control you usually need to ask the pharmacist for it and they do verbal screening.
  - s1artibartfast 5y ago
    I meant without judgment in the sense that I wasn't personally making one - I haven't read the literature on each drug.
helloworld11 5y ago
On both counts you're taking rare, slowly forming problems and grossly exaggerating their severity or risk of happening. I personally know numerous women in my country who take birth control pills without a prescription and they're fine, and have been for many years so far. They simply follow the label instructions. I've been taking prednisone without an obligatory prescription on and off for a long time and know a number of people who have had to take it too, without any serious problems. They just follow their doctor's basic instructions on its use. The required-prescription craze in the U.S is indeed in many ways paranoid safety theater, a constant rent-seeking process that often justifies itself in the name of nebulous safety scares. People don't need to be treated like children to nearly the degree you seem to favor for what are usually completely personal health choices which don't easily affect others directly. Enough.