[dylan's alias]

No I wouldn't. I talk to and examine my patients. Then I decide what the next step is. I discuss my reasoning with them and offer the options that I think are appropriate. If I think more tests are needed, I order them. If drugs are appropriate, I prescribe them. I spent way too many years in school and training to abandon my professional opinion just because the patient says they want/need a drug. I don't worry about the FDA/government, because my own ethics keep me out of trouble.

Its not that I'm so perfect or that I refuse to prescribe drugs for my patients. If you are young and healthy, then maybe the doctor for you is the one who doesn't care, and will write for anything as long as it gets you out of the office sooner. When you actually have a problem, you might want a doctor who will take the time to think about it before prescribing whatever you saw advertised on TV last night.

The proliferation of advertising for pharmaceuticals and the massive amount of (often dubious) information on the internet has made many people feel that the doctor doesn't really know any more than they do. When your car breaks down, you go to the mechanic. Maybe you get a second opinion, but rarely does anyone show up and tell the mechanic how to fix the car.