Self medication

So the issue of self-medication is, again, hitting media outlets around the world. The issue seems to be under control here in the US, because, I think of the fear of litigation. Most drugstores here are owned by big supermarket chains and the last thing they would like would be to be sued because someone died of side effects for a non-prescribed drug - the risks are just too great.

Now, if you go to some developing country ( and I'll mention Brazil because that's where I'm from), the drugstores are usually owned by smaller entities or mom & pop operations. Owning a drugstore in Brazil is a cutthroat business - there's basically one drugstore per block and they ofter have to diversify selling vitamins and other non-prescription drugs. So when a schmo comes and asks for a controlled drug, the pharmacy owner will gladly sell it without prescription, knowing that if he or she doesn't the one down the road will, and he or she will not be able to compete.

So how do you fix this? Education you said? I hardly think so, it sounds good on paper but I believe the only way to fix this is through litigation. If there are any conditions that arise from your prescription-less drug you bought I think you should be able to sue the pharmacy for a lot of money.

Think that's unfair? Yes, I agree, but if the pharmacies have no incentive to enforce the law, this problem will continue indefinitely. Will people buy drugs from the black-market? They sure will, this is Brazil after all, but I think that increasing the litigation will at least force mainstream pharmacies to come out clean.


Al

Senseless murder

So I was watching the Brazilian news today and, yet again, there are news of senseless murdering. A clerk at a pizza joint, married and father of a 2 year old kid, was killed, stabbed four times, because he refused to sell the slice of pizza for 0.60 (the normal price was 1 buck).
A group of three punks assaulted and killed him.

Now, what do you do with these people? Is jail time enough? I'm not in favor of capital punishment, but in cases like these, these murderers just forfeited their right to live.

Can a healthy society exist when such people - psychopaths and sociopaths- are allowed to roam free?

Heck, I've been involved in fights before, I know things can get out of hand, but to have the "courage" to actually kill someone goes beyond anything I can imagine.

All for 40 cents...

Al

printf ("Hello world");

OK... This is it... Start her up!

My goal with this blog is to generate discussion about current events and how little different they are from past events. If studying History is a way to avoid making the same mistakes over and over again, it seems to me that we're stuck in an endless cycle, waiting for a different outcome - someone said that this is a definition for Insanity.

Thanks,
Al