4 ms·
And some drugs are OTC or BTC in the US that are prescription in other places. Not all drugs are intended to treat conditions that laypeople are equipped to se
by kube-system 3y ago
And some drugs are OTC or BTC in the US that are prescription in other places.
Not all drugs are intended to treat conditions that laypeople are equipped to self-medicate for. Consider extreme examples to illustrate some of the reasons why: it would be completely crazy for people to attempt to use things like powerful chemotherapy or anesthesia drugs to self medicate. And between these and ibuprofen, there's a bunch of other drugs which could easily be harmful to the user (or the purchaser's dependents) if used under a layperson's unguided judgement.
I think this can be even more important in the US where people have a strong incentive to self-medicate without consulting a doctor.
- robwwilliams 3y agoSuch as acetaminophen—-a serious liver toxin we know as Tylenol.
- kube-system 3y agoAcetaminophen does have risks, but they are relatively mild and unlikely compared to the spectrum of drugs we're talking about, treats a condition that is extremely easy to self-diagnose: pain.
- robwwilliams 3y agoHard to draw lines and I suspect profit motives more important than risk; with the important exception of drugs that target CNS function. Acetaminophen is a serious liver toxin that most of us know as Tylenol or paracetamol. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paracetamol https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paracetamol