Hello @tfcoates!
What an important, delicate topic you have beautifully discussed here. Not long ago I was talking to a friend of mine, he is a GP too, precisely about the demands of medication from the part of the patients - we were talking about ADMs, though.
Like you replied to hamzayousaf , in the end, it comes down to education and responsibility. However, the latter doesn't seem to exist without the former. How can people be responsible about something they don't fully understand?
And I think this is when governments fail people the most. When they do not educate them. But of course, there is always a level of individual responsibility, because people don't always want to be educated either!
This is a very complex topic (which I am quite passionate about). You have explored it here so very well 😊
All the best to you :)
Hi @abigail-dantes
I think what you've pointed out is correct, and probably the point that makes this whole issue so complex. I tried to cover it in some of my closing comments
I think the problem here is that so little emphasis is placed on health education, and policymakers are among those who don't understand the need to health education. It's an area that medical professionals really need to campaigning for!
Thanks so much for weighing in! :)