Everyone knows that prescriptions for the purchase of many drugs can only be obtained from doctors. However, in some countries, regions, states, and even cities, a doctor’s prescription may also be needed to purchase seemingly ordinary things. The need for such recipes seems all the more strange when you consider that things are completely harmless.
But there is nothing to be done, no matter how absurd it may seem, people were forced to go to the doctors to get a “permission” to buy. Moreover, some of the things described in this article are still banned. So, here are 10 things that were sold exclusively by prescription, and you did not even suspect about it.
1
Intimate toys
At one time, in the American city of Sandy Springs, Georgia, a prescription for the purchase of sex toys was required. The law was passed by the city government, which signed a ban on the purchase or sale of any device designed to stimulate genital organs. After the expected dissatisfaction on the part of citizens, the city council “spawned” a new law. Now the sale and use of sex toys was authorized exclusively for medical, educational, scientific, legislative, law enforcement or judicial purposes. Despite the fact that the law does not explain how a “stimulant” may be needed for judicial or law enforcement purposes, it says that you can buy it only by prescription.
The legality of this decision was disputed by several people in court. One woman suffering from nerve damage due to multiple sclerosis sued. She explained this by the fact that the law has a negative effect on her sex life, because without the use of sex toys her marriage can break up. Despite receiving the prescription, she considered the fact of such a "humiliating" procedure to be absurd. Another plaintiff turned out to be an artist using “toys” to write his works. He stated that he could not create without a prescription. In March 2017, the law was repealed.
2
Condoms
Do you live in the Manila district of Ayala Alabang and want to buy condoms? Urgently to the doctor for a prescription! This area is considered one of the most expensive in the Philippine capital. In addition, it became a battleground between conservative Catholics and liberal-minded citizens. Most of the people in the Philippines profess Catholicism, which prohibits any form of control over the conception of children, including condom use. This explains the law in force in Ayala Alabang.
Because of the ban, Filipinos split their opinions; the whole country is passionately discussing artificial birth control. Many people believe that the government should maintain control, not suppress it. Moreover, the law does not at all take into account the risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases. Fortunately, citizens do not have to worry much, since most points of sale do not require a prescription when buying contraception.
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3
Chewing gum
Chewing gum has been banned in Singapore since 1992. Although the law is still in force, it was relaxed in 2004 due to a trade dialogue between Singapore and the United States. By signing the agreement, Singapore allowed the import of a product called “medical gum”.
Those who wish to receive therapeutic chewing gum (nicotine chewing gum or chewing gum useful for teeth fall under this concept) must make an appointment with a doctor or pharmacist to get a special prescription. For this reason, chewing gums are sold only in pharmacies. But this is only a small part of the inconvenience associated with the acquisition of chewing gum. Buyers are required to show their ID card to the pharmacist before he releases the medical gum. Any pharmacist who has not verified passport data or sold gum without a prescription can be sentenced to 2 years in prison with a fine of $ 2,940.
By the way, we recently published on this site most-beauty.ru an interesting article about the most luxurious prisons in the world.
4
Alcohol
The well-known “dry law” was adopted in the USA in 1920. He banned the production and sale of alcohol throughout the country. But enterprising Americans decided to circumvent the law by inventing “medicinal alcohol”. Of course, he was no different from ordinary alcohol. The only difference was the need to have a doctor's prescription for legal purchase.
This creative attempt to circumvent the Prohibition was a great business in those days. Doctors prescribed this “treatment” for many diseases, including depression and cancer, while “patients” sold prescriptions for $ 6-7 each. The duration of the prescription was 10 days, so patients always required to write a new one.
An interesting fact: Winston Churchill himself, the Prime Minister of Great Britain, was forced to receive a prescription for the purchase of alcohol, while visiting the United States in 1931. Churchill hit a car in New York when he got out of his taxi. Taking advantage of the chance, the Prime Minister asked the doctor to write him a prescription for “medicinal alcohol”. The doctor prescribed at least six “shots” of alcohol during each meal. Overdose did not happen, so Sir Winston Churchill was allowed to continue the "treatment".
5
Cigarettes
At one time in the West, selling prescription cigarettes to people with asthma was common. Those cigarettes differed from standard ones by the absence of nicotine, as well as the presence of anti-asthma substances, such as stramonium, in the composition. Tobacco cigarettes gained popularity at the same time as smoking cannabis and opium.
After some time, realizing the dangers of smoking, people began to fight this bad habit. However, doctors ignored public appeals, insisting on the health benefits of tobacco. The balance of power changed after World War II, when all types of cigarettes began to be associated with harm to health. Then the use of asthmatic cigarettes was reduced to zero.
6
Female condoms
Female or internal condoms are prescribed by prescription even in a progressive country like the United States of America. Although the reason is not at all ethical principles. It's all about the money. The only brand that produces female condoms and is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration is F2C. Even despite the monopoly, the company's sales figures left much to be desired.
To improve the situation, Very Health, namely they produced F2C, went for the trick. As part of the birth control campaign, which the United States refers to only as Obamacare, female condoms began to be given exclusively by prescription. However, women did not have to buy them, as they were included in health insurance. Payment for condoms was provided by the birth control program itself, allowing Veru Health to profit from the sale of contraceptives.
Such changes have been heavily criticized by the public. Firstly, people who did not have insurance had to pay about $ 20 for a female condom (before the law was passed, it cost only $ 3.5). Secondly, condoms of this type are often used during anal sex, and the high cost can scare away potential buyers, which will significantly increase the risk of “catching” a sexually transmitted infection.
7
E-cigarettes
One of the latest inventions of our time, which caused heated debate, is electronic cigarettes. While manufacturers advertise them as a great way to quit smoking, critics say they can make non-smokers smoke. And the content of fruit flavors can attract even children to electronic cigarettes. One of the UK agencies under the control of the Department of Health and Human Services has proposed a law to authorize the sale of electronic cigarettes only with a doctor’s prescription. This law will make electronic cigarettes available only to people who are trying to quit smoking. At the same time, agency employees argue that such cigarettes do not pose a danger to a passive smoker, and that classic cigarettes are 95% less harmful to the person using them. According to statistics, every year, thanks to electronic cigarettes, about 20,000 Britons quit smoking.
2 years ago, the Office of the Control of Medicines and Medical Devices granted British American Tobacco a license to sell E-Voke electronic cigarettes, which will be used as a smoking cessation tool. Now British doctors can officially prescribe these products to get rid of bad habits.
8
Vibrators
At a time when the female was not yet sufficiently studied, it was considered normal practice for doctors to prescribe stimulation of the female genital organs to treat a disease called hysteria. Women with hysteria are often uncomfortable, anxious, and prone to irritability.
As they said then, "pelvic massage" was carried out personally by a doctor, and was aimed at bringing the woman to orgasm. However, the process seemed rather complicated and somewhat humiliating to the doctors. All were saved by Dr. Mortimer Granville, who invented a vibrator in the 1880s. Despite the fact that the original purpose of the device was to relieve muscle pain, it soon began to be used to get rid of hysteria. The first vibrators were only in medical institutions, and were personally controlled by doctors. They accelerated the process of bringing women with hysteria to orgasm. Soon, many types of vibrators appeared, thanks to which women were able to buy devices for personal use. Slowly but surely, the vibrators “migrated” from the medical rooms to the women's bedrooms, causing the “epidemic” of hysteria to subside, which soon disappeared completely. It will be honest to say that some people consider the story of the vibrator to be a mere fabrication.
9
Chocolate
It's no secret that in South America, chocolate has been used as a medicine for hundreds of years. The Aztecs treated them with all kinds of diseases and ailments, using it as an independent product or mixing roots, grass and tree bark with chocolate. In Europe, chocolate was both food and medicine, and doctors prescribed it to patients to get rid of diseases. In some cases, doctors mixed disgusting medicines with chocolate so that patients could take them. You must admit that not everyone is ready to swallow powder made from excavated earthworms. Another thing is when the powder is mixed with chocolate.
Realizing the popularity of chocolate, scammers began to sell it as a universal remedy for all diseases. Despite the positive result in some cases, it was probably due to the fact that people, immediately before use, melted it in water. As it became known much later, boiling kills all harmful microorganisms, making water safe.
10
Heroin
We all know that heroin is one of the hardest drugs. However, before doctors considered him a cure for ... cough, also prescribing it as a patient with pneumonia and tuberculosis. Moreover, it was sold over the counter and was available at any pharmacy. Parents bought heroin to give it to their children before bedtime. Heroin was invented by the German pharmaceutical company Bayer, as a substitute for morphine, which is not addictive. Despite the alleged safety, some doctors were wary of the new product, publicly expressing their concerns. Nevertheless, their voice was not heard until people with heroin addiction began to get into hospitals.
This forced Bayer management to permanently stop the production of heroin in 1913. As for the United States, the following year a partial ban on the production of the drug was introduced, the sale of which was carried out only by prescription. Such measures did not give positive results, as a result of which, by 1920, heroin was removed from the list of medicines. However, drug addicts found other sources for buying heroin, thereby stimulating the development of organized crime, which financed the manufacture of the substance.
To date, heroin is banned in most countries of the world, although in some countries, such as Germany, the Netherlands, Canada and the UK, doctors prescribe it to drug addicts as a last comfort before starting rehabilitation. The prescription is under strict control, and is issued only if other drugs are not effective.