Thursday, May 23, 2013

Suffocating Under Prescription Laws

Today, the restrictions on life-saving medicine are an obvious manifestation of Social Darwinism. Medicines such as Albuterol, the rescue inhaler for asthmatics, require a prescription by an expensive medical doctor. Readers unfamiliar with Albuterol should know that is a non-narcotic medicine that asthmatics require on occasion when their asthma acts up. It is not typically something that one takes on a daily basis, but rather as needed, such as during allergy season. Inability to obtain Albuterol can lead to death by suffocation at the utmost, or costly visits to indifferent nurse practitioners at expensive, far-away medical clinics in order to obtain a script for twenty-five doses of the common generic drug, Albuterol. A visit may cost as much as a hundred dollars, not counting the Albuterol itself, which is additional. Always the words on the label read "NO REFILL," guaranteeing another visit a few months down the line and another hundred dollars flushed down the toilet. Making Albuterol difficult to obtain is unethical, because it increases the risk that an asthmatic will die of suffocation.

Why is Albuterol a prescription drug in the first place? That's a good question that would be difficult to answer without cynicism. Almost every drug that does anything requires a prescription. The reason is the government thinks people are idiots. Some people are idiots, sure. But most people would rather be given the benefit of the doubt. I believe one should assume that people will make wise choices, given adequate information, and yet even if they do not, it is better that they should be given a choice. My belief is a natural extension of my bias toward democracy. Those who are authoritarian take the opposite view, that only an authority should decide what is best for an individual. I suppose one's stance on this issue reflects one's political affiliation. There are some that would be happier in Iran or China, being told what to do and what not to do all the time.

In my view, doctors should not have an exclusive monopoly on prescribing life-saving medicine. In order to justify such a monopoly from the ethical perspective, doctors would have to always be available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week to instantly write a script to anyone who needs it at no cost. This, of course, is impossible for anyone, let alone a doctor. Doctors are hardly available at all, and when they are seen it is at great cost and at their convenience, not the convenience of the suffering. I conclude that prescription and indeed drug laws in general will have to be revisited in a future society founded upon ethics. I doubt that any change will happen in my lifetime, but perhaps future generations will come around to a similar viewpoint as expressed here.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

i only recommended site because thats where i found info on apple cider vinegar... sorry if you thought i was affiliated with that site... if you're having that much trouble with asthma (as i can sympathize) you should look into ACV regardless of what you think of my credibility

no i don't expect this comment to remain... but i care enough to help regardless by being a bit persistent...

i don't care that others see my comment - only the sufferer that wrote the post

Anonymous said...

i initially came to your blog because im into linux,,,btw

igor said...

In general, a spam comment is defined as one unrelated to the content of a post, or at any rate, a comment intended solely to promote a site. A grey area presents when a comment is generic, touching upon a subject in a very general way, in bot-like fashion.

There is research indicating that apples are a beneficial food for people with asthma, although "prevent" is too strong a word, an example of journalistic license. The Daily Mail writes, "An apple’s antioxidant content is contained mainly in its peel, so eat an unpeeled apple once a day."

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1378303/An-apple-day-keeps-doctor-away--And-prevents-asthma-beats-hiccups.html

Apple cider vinegar, on the other hand, would not contain peel, so the benefit of using vinegar to counter asthma is unclear. Sites that exist to sell product are not a reliable resource of information.

igor said...

From Wikipedia:

Health risks of apple cider vinegar

"A report regarding an Austrian patient who had consumed excessive amounts of apple cider vinegar (up to 250ml per day) for six years suggests that long-term, high dosage intake of apple cider vinegar can lower potassium levels in the body as well as reduce bone density (osteoporosis); it is theorized that excessive intake of vinegar can cause hypokalemia, hyperreninemia, and osteoporosis.[8] Apple cider vinegar contains chromium which can alter insulin levels and it is therefore recommended that people who have diabetes should talk to their doctors before using ACV.[9] ACV is highly acidic; in one recorded instance, a woman received esophageal burns after an ACV pill got caught in her throat.[7][10]"

It's just another fad promoted to separate consumers from their money. See: wishful thinking, placebo effect.

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