Is there any reason -- any at all -- why birth control pills require a prescription? Why can't they be over the counter?
OTC oral contraceptives would resolve a number of current controversies. And might well prevent some unwanted pregnancies, to boot.
In a response to a comment in a post below, I argued that more drugs should be OTC.
Hell, I even think we ought to be allowed to buy opiate pain relievers over the counter, in small yearly amounts. We're talking, what, the equivalent of maybe seven T3s each year. This system would result in a lot of black market sales, but so what? I can't see any great looming troubles: It's not as though seven pills are going to make anyone wealthy or increase the number of addicts. When a toothache flares up in the middle of the night, people should be capable of meeting the challenge.
Albenza (used for tapeworm) is OTC in other countries. Why not here?
Canada allows 400 mg doses of Ibuprofin over the counter; the US does not. Why not? Nothing stops you from taking multiple 200 mg pills. I've even had doctors tell me to do just that. If I have severe pain, I'll use 800, maybe even 1000 mg, even at the risk of becoming nauseous. It's my choice. (For toothache, I recommend Peppermint oil on the tooth combined with as much ibuprofin as you can take without making yourself upchuck.)
What if amoxicillin or other antibiotics were OTC? Yeah, stupid people would abuse those drugs. On the other hand, do I really need a doctor to tell me I have strep throat? I KNOW when I have strep.
Antivirals. Rogaine. Viagra. Instead of forcing people to spend hundreds of dollars on doctor's visits, why not give them plenty of education on side effects and so forth? Let them make their own decisions. True, doctors don't like to give Viagra to men with high blood pressure, but there are now testing devices in certain pharmacies. I just don't see the need for expensive professional consultations.
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