It might seem that giving government the power to require prescriptions would protect consumers by requiring them to consult with physicians before using dangerous drugs. In a new white paper for the Cato Institute, we argue government-imposed prescription requirements counter-intuitively make patients less safe rather than more.
One reason is, governments routinely use this power to block access to drugs that are safe for patients to use themselves. Consider:
- More than 100 countries, including communist China and Cuba, allow women to purchase oral contraceptives without a prescription. The American Council of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends eliminating prescription requirements for all hormonal contraceptives—a strong statement, considering its members profit from those requirements. Yet the United States and the United Kingdom stand with Saudi Arabia in requiring women to obtain prescriptions.
- The United States allows consumers to purchase some insulin products, and Canada allows consumers to purchase any insulin product, without a prescription. The United Kingdom requires prescriptions.
- Naloxone is a life-saving antidote to opioid overdoses with almost no side effects that should be available in vending machines and first-aid kits. Unlike Canada, which allows consumers to purchase naloxone directly from a pharmacist, both the United Kingdom and the United States require prescriptions.
During public health crises like COVID-19, government-imposed prescription requirements jeopardise access to medicines even more than usual. The British Pregnancy Advisory Service reported that women in the United Kingdom are “struggling to access contraception” because, “while [physicians] are supplying prescriptions, there is a long wait for telephone appointments which can mean that there is a gap during which they are not protected against unplanned pregnancy.” The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists writes, “COVID-19 response, including social distancing recommendations and delays to routine in‐person visits, amplifies logistical obstacles to contraceptive initiation and continuation.”