Analysis of Argument:
Many non prescription of drugs can cause serious sideeffects, particularly when taken in conjunction with other drugs or in large quantities. If these potentially harmful nonprescription drugs were sold only by prescription, then a doctor or pharmacist would be able to explain the possible side effects of the drug and would also be able to monitor the quantity of the drug purchased, therby decreasing the chance a person would take too much of the drug. Therefore, any drug with potentially serious side effects should be sold only by prescription.
My Essay :
The editor concludes that any drug with potentially serious side effects should be sold only with prescription. The editor’s line of reasoning is that doctor or pharmacist would be able to explain the possible side effects of the drug and would also be able to monitor the quantity of drug purchased, thereby decreasing the chance that person would take too much of a drug. The argument is convincing for several reasons.
First of all, The editor’s observation that nonprescription drugs cause side effects is seen by us in many cases. Recently, there was news on the death of five teenagers due to consumption of cough medicines. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), The deaths have occurred because of the consumption of DXM sold in capsules. FDA is concerned about the abuse of dextromethorphan (DXM), a synthetically produced ingredient in many over the counter (OTC) cough and cold remedies. The agency is working with other health and law enforcement authorities to address this serious issue and warn the public. Such incidents could have been prevented had there been no OTC drugs in the market and all drugs could be purchased with only prescription. OTC medicines can cause unpleasant effects, which are also called adverse effects. These adverse effects include side effects, drug-drug interactions and food-drug interactions.
Secondly, Although OTC medicines have a low risk of adverse effects when used occasionally by adults who are generally healthy, they can pose greater risks for some people, including very young children, the elderly and people taking more than 1 type of medicine. People who have the following conditions are such as Asthma, Bleeding disorders, Blood clotting disorders, Breathing problems, Diabetes, Enlarged prostate gland, Epilepsy, Heart disease, Kidney problems, and liver problems are at higher risk.Even though these conditions put some people at greater risk, it is important to remember that anyone can experience an adverse effect from a medicine.
Finally, the editor was spot on when he suggested that drugs should be sold only when prescriptions given from doctors or pharmacist are shown. This would bring down the number of cases affected by purchase of nonprescription drugs drastically. Though it can be argued that not all people are wealthy enough to go for a doctor to ailments like cough or cold. This can be no reason as many countries are providing free health care services for its poor citizens.
In conclusion, The editor has made a complete analysis of the situation and has come up with a strong idea to alleviate people’s suffering owing to nonprescription drugs