Need for prescriptions
The demand for nootropic drugs and the current state
of the law creates a situation whereby supply arises from
a black market. A key benefit of nootropic drugs becoming
available for prescription would be the licensing and
regulation processes that they would therefore be subject
to. For existing prescription drugs that are used without
a prescription, such as Ritalin and Modafinil, this means
that rather than purchasing from unregulated sources
such as friends or the internet, drugs would become
available from a legitimate source. This means someone
taking a nootropic knows exactly what they’re taking,
which is very difficult to qualify from an unregulated online
source, and what the potential side effects could be.
If a drug is prescribed from a physician the patient can be
monitored to observe for adverse side effects as well as efficacy.
A system where a doctor has ‘control’ over a
Thorley et al. Philosophy, Ethics, and Humanities in Medicine (2016) 11:6 Page 2 of 3
patient’s usage of a cognitive enhancing drug is inherently
safer than one where there is no experienced and professional
input. The safety of individuals on the whole is of
critical importance and by this means efficacy can also be
monitored more efficiently on a widespread scale.
Creating a legal market for nootropics available under
prescription would also attract investment and research
into the field. Whilst we have highlighted the benefits of
certain drugs on cognitive functions, the field is marked
by a paucity of data on existing drugs in longitudinal studies.
Particularly important here is the question of dosage
guidelines for nootropic consumption: PET scans illustrated
that 400 mg of modafinil had observable effects in
parts of the brain involved in substance abuse and dependence
[12], and therefore clearly appropriate guidelines
need to be created for their consumption. However, such
research will only be forthcoming upon legitimising such a
use. Finally, it is worth noting that currently available nootropics
have arisen from drugs intended for use for particular
diseases. Opening up the field would allow research
to begin on projects centred on pharmacological research
of cognitive enhancement, rather using existing molecules
for novel purposes (such as Ritalin or Modafinil).