This article describes the relationship between the efficacy of drug use and the medical qualifications of the prescriber. Different purposes of drug use are examined: the control of disease; maintenance of desirable normality; and the achievement of desirable supernormality. Drugs are most beneficial when prescribed by a qualified physician under clinical situations. Drugs such as Aspirin, the pill, or vitamin C. are self-administered by the patient, with or without advice from a physician, but tend to lose efficacy as a result of misadministration. Drugs such as alcohol, cannabis and heroin are often self-administered for desirable short term supernormality (e.g. euphoria, reduction of intellectual stress) but with long term detrimental effects. A culture of general drug use is developing in Ireland and Britain.