Exactly. It’s oppressive for me to be unable to treat myself for common conditions like hypertension. It’s not like my GP knows more about hypertension than I do, and it’s not like people abuse antihypertensives.
I’ve always thought that it’d be a good idea to be able to apply for a license to self-prescribe a medication. Pay a doctor for half an hour of his time for him to test my knowledge on a particular medication, including how it works and the efficacy of the medication along with the side effects. If my knowledge of the medication is deemed sufficient, I sign a waiver stating that I’m solely responsible for any misuse of the medication, and I’m then given a license that lasts indefinitely for that medication.
It would save the public health service a lot of money, and people would be happier and healthier for it.
The “but people are stupid” argument holds little weight when compared to the real dumb shit people can do. I could have a real fun weekend, and wake up on Monday morning with every STD, as a paraplegic, with debt I could never repay in ten lifetimes, and at no point would anyone have attempted to impede my autonomy.