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Mandatory prescriptions exist because the average citizen does not have the medical training to properly dose, avoid interactions and know contraindications.
Sure, I believe it is possible with enough research for a layman to understand, as well as a doctor or pharmacist would, the drugs they should take, but many wouldn't or couldn't. And the huge negative swing in general welfare from the populace taking properly prescribed drugs to people haphazardly self-medicating is enough for government intervention IMO.
Some people are in fact allowed to self-adminster drugs, they're called doctors [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]
This is not a hard concept; this is why consenting adults are not allowed to perform surgery on each other, or operate an MRI machine, etc.
I acknowledge an argument can be made for making some drugs that currently require a prescription into OTC, but I don't see it extending to all drugs.
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I'd like to link you to another post in this thread that addresses the very points you make.
here
natedogg