The Privilege of Self-Medication

We are set to think of self-medication as bad, because we see so many problems with it. We should pause and consider a couple of other things, however.

First, the bad outcomes we see do not necessarily mean that the privilege of self-medication should be restricted. To restrict that privilege means that we think of ourselves as more than advisers and assistants. It means that we think of ourselves as controlling authorities. Where in Scripture has God authorized us as having any controlling authority over our patients?

Second, we have no good denominator for the dangers of self-medication. That is, we see those who have problems, but we are not nearly as aware of those who do not have problems. Every treatment has a certain failure rate. That is, we have a numerator of failures sitting over a denominator of all treatments. Unless we know the denominator we cannot know the fraction. If we do not know the fraction, we cannot know the rate. If we do not know failure rates, complication rates, and success rates, we are presumptuous to deny people by law the ability to decide for themselves.

We tend in medicine to practice on the numerator kind of information. We make decisions based on partial information. Patients need to be able to "vote with their feet." It is a check on us "experts." We, too, have fallen natures, with pride and desires for power and money. We want to have our way.


Excerpt from "Pharmacy and Medical Interventions"

Sanctioned Monopoly

Can you see the monopolistic aspects of how pharmaceuticals are devised and marketed? There has been no literal grant of exclusive rights to one company to research drugs, but a system has been created which permits only very big fish to play in the lake. These big pharmaceutical fish submit to the onerous rules, grumbling, but they are the only legal players. No one else can play. If the FDA were closed tomorrow, the first to clamor for its reinvention would be the pharmaceutical companies, as much as they rail against it. They couldn't stand the competition in a truly free market.


Excerpt from "Pharmacy and Medical Interventions"

Personal Responsibility in Alternative Medicine

The success of orthodox therapies has been greatest where patient participation has been least. Great things are accomplished in surgery, where a patient's responsibility is, basically, to sign an op permit and hold still for the anesthetic. Great things are accomplished in pharmacology where the patient has but to take a pill, inhale a puff, or stick on a patch. While many, too many, patients prefer that approach, there are others who wish to retain a sense of control. Unorthodox therapies, accurately or not, may offer this sense, which is one to be encouraged since God did place this responsibility first with the individual (1 Cor. 3:16,17; 7:12,19,20, 2 Cor. 7:1).


Excerpt from "Quackery"

The Appeal of Alternative Medicine

Orthodox practitioners should be intrigued by the question of why, if our therapies are superior, and [unorthodox practioners' therapies] are inferior, people continue to pursue the latter. What do they receive elsewhere that they do not receive from us? Could it be, sometimes, that our mechanistic approach omits healing of the spirit? Omits love? Even at our therapeutic best, where we understand mysteries, do we lack love? (1 Cor. 13:2)


Excerpt from "Quackery"