Prescription drug reform essay

Prescription drug reform plays a significant role in the well-being of today’s society. We live in the world of constant medical progress, and various reforms are undoubtedly needed to ensure the well-being of people. In fact, there are many serious illnesses from which people would die if there were no prescription drugs. Some of them are aimed to make the life of people much easier, for example, drugs intended for treating cough or related conditions. However, it is true that prescription drug reform is associated with some negative sides as well. This involves addiction and severe misuse that can be caused by prescription drugs with the help of medical practitioners and those who work in the pharmaceutical industry. The advantages and disadvantages of prescription drug reform will be discussed as follows.

As for the pros of prescription drugs, it should be noted that such drugs often cure various conditions that threaten the well-being of people. This involves high level of cholesterol, cancer, temperature rise and excessively high blood pressure as well as some other conditions. Such drugs are intended for improving the functioning of the human body, and sometimes such drugs are of much help in the life-threatening situations. Without the prescription drugs, the quality of life would be much worse, and the number of unexpected deaths would grow. This proves that the prescription drug reform has a great number of benefits that have a positive influence on the life quality of every person.

Furthermore, prescription medications represent a good short-term solution to the existing health related problems. It is common knowledge that not every medication is used for treating serious health conditions. Some of them are used as quick remedies that can be taken not very often with much success. This includes antibiotics used for treating various infections or some medicines used for curing vomiting. These are conditions that people might experience from time to time, and prescription medications are the best solution in such situations. Some of the prescription drugs make it easier for a person to live through this or that illness. It is the best remedy for insignificant conditions that happen not so often.

On the other hand, prescription drug reform is associated with several negative aspects. Among others, there are people who get used to taking drugs and become dependent on them, even though they might have taken them according to prescription. It depends on the dosage, the kind of prescription medication and the period of time during which it has been taken. All this may lead to a situation when a patient can no longer live without this or that medication. For instance, drugs prescribed for treating sleeping disorder are rather dangerous, as they might reinforce dependency in patients. That is why only qualified medical workers are liable to prescribe such medications.

Another negative side of prescription drug reform is the fact that prescription drugs can be misused by individuals who are not aware of what these drugs may cause. The prescription of various hazardous drugs is associated with a threat of them being misused by the patient. It especially concerns young people and adults who want to experience some side effects of this or that drug. If such medications are kept at home, it means that such individuals will have an easy access to them and might want to feel high from time to time. However, misuse of drugs is associated with severe injuries and even immediate lethal effect. Thus, prescribed drugs should be treated with caution as they might lead to various serious conditions, which are hard to cure afterwards. The prescribed usage of drugs is to be supervised by medical practitioners for them to be taken according to prescription; otherwise there might be life-threatening consequences.