As it is today, if you have pain associated with a back strain or ankle sprain, or if you just have a cold sore that doesn't want to go away, your only option is to make an appointment with your primary care physician and get a prescription for medication.
In many not so serious cases, like a cold sore, you know exactly what it is that you need. If you don't have a good health care plan, there is a chance that you might just decide to tough it out rather than spend the doctor's fee. Of course we can't have hypocondriacs and pill fiends diagnosing themselves without limits.
What I propose is a system whereby a short list of drugs (that can not be harmful in small dosages and don't have any contraindications) be made available by the FDA in a hybrid of the OTC and prescription systems. To access this, adult consumers would have to register with the pharmacy in what would be a national database. Every adult citizen would have a cap, tracked by SSN, for each drug, above which they would have to seek a physician's advice.
Pros:
- More people would be financially able practice preventive medicine overall.
- The pharmacutical industry would see an increase in sales and might lower prices.
- Jobs created by the accompanying regulative bureaucracy.
- Casual recreational users of pain killers would be able to satisfy their craving with, say, 6-10 pills per month, which may be enough to keep them from doctor shopping and black market purchase.
- The service could be taxed heavily and pay for itself, maybe make money for the government(viagra would be on the list).
Cons:
- It may take away from physicians' profits.
- Complicated regulation.
- Privacy issue with the database. It would be your choice to use the system or to see a doctor of course.
- Fill in the blank. I'm obviously not a doctor.