patient’s usage of a cognitive enhancing drug is inherentlysafer than one where there is no experienced and profes-sional input. The safety of individuals on the whole is ofcritical importance and by this means efficacy can also bemonitored more efficiently on a widespread scale.Creating a legal market for nootropics available underprescription would also attract investment and researchinto the field. Whilst we have highlighted the benefits ofcertain drugs on cognitive functions, the field is markedby a paucity of data on existing drugs in longitudinal stud-ies. Particularly important here is the question of dosageguidelines for nootropic consumption: PET scans illus-trated that 400 mg of modafinil had observable effects inparts of the brain involved in substance abuse and depend-ence [12], and therefore clearly appropriate guidelinesneed to be created for their consumption. However, suchresearch will only be forthcoming upon legitimising such ause. Finally, it is worth noting that currently available noo-tropics have arisen from drugs intended for use for par-ticular diseases. Opening up the field would allow researchto begin on projects centred on pharmacological researchof cognitive enhancement, rather using existing moleculesfor novel purposes (such as Ritalin or Modafinil).ConclusionAn environment currently exists in society where the useof nootropic drugs is widespread within certain groups ofpeople. We argue the reality of the situation should be ac-cepted and everything done to make it as safe and regu-lated as possible. By making these drugs available underprescription, we argue that we will remove the negative ef-fects of a‘black market’of prescription drugs whilst alsoavoiding the potentials for abuse by making them freelyavailable. Furthermore, we argue that by incorporatingthem into a formal medical framework, we will foster anenvironment which promotes research and hopefully pro-duces better nootropics for the future