I thought Dr. Flanigan’s article against prescription drug restriction was intriguing as she argued the importance of preserving and enabling self-medication. I was surprised by her explanation of the paternalistic history of prescription drugs; that as individuals expected more coverage from the federal government, there were inherently more restrictions put in place that prevented self-medication. Although there were efforts to relieve the system, like the Doctrine of Informed Consent (DIC), prescription drugs continued to be less accessible. I understand and see the normative arguments from both medical practitioners and patients, and it would be interesting to see how a highly dependable system can shift to promote the right to self-medication, as Dr. Flanigan suggests.
Critical Thinking
I was neutral towards the arguments because each perspective was understandable. But I agree that it would be interesting to see how implementing a self-medication system would perform. I think it’ll only be more beneficial if there was a requirement first that people be informed and knowledgeable about the benefits and risks of the medication.
I think you bring up an interesting point about how a program like the one Flanigan describes could be implemented in reality. I think that it’s also important to recognize potential negative side effects of a system like this, including substance abuse and dependency.