Not only are half medications useless to harmful, most of the time side effects aren't ever disclosed. I'm still bitter about this due to being prescribed medication I would have never had taken if the potential side effects we're disclosed.

Did you ever read the information sheet they give with your medication?

The pharmacy always gives you papers with all of the side effects, interactions, and instructions. Is that not good enough?

Is this a serious comment? Of course it's not good enough.

I'm supposed to wait until after I leave the doctor's office and fill the prescription to know the side effects of a medication I just spent money on? So if I don't like the side effects I have to make another doctor's appointment and wait until the doctor has availability?

So I go to my doctor and say "I have X problem." Doctor says "take these pills." I go to the pharmacy and read about the medication. I say "well these side effects don't look good, I don't want to take the medication." I go back to my doctor, the doctor says "here's some different pills" and I have to fill that second prescription and compare the two side effects.

No, that's not good enough.

There's also the problem that that information is given in a vacuum, there's no information given about what the alternative treatments are for your condition and what the side effects are for those alternative treatments. That discussion rarely occurs to my satisfaction at the doctor's office because oftentimes the doctor seemly doesn't know about the side effects or is misinformed.

This has just been my experience...

For me, the medication in question was given to me in an acute setting. I asked directly about side effects and I was brushed off as "oh most people don't have any side effects" or something of that nature. Especially when the medication is administered by a nurse and I was just given pills, I had to firstly ask what the medication even was.

Honestly, you seem like a somewhat difficult patient. If you want to be more involved in medical decisions, it takes time and effort.

"big issue I have with doctors, I don't know if they are going to prescribe me some bullshit"

You want a somewhat different relationship with a doctor, it probably is not going to be very easy if your attitude is like that and you are not particularly willing to spend time and make effort. Finding the right doctor for what you want can be difficult, especially when you yourself are difficult.

I read all of my prescription documentation, and if there is an issue I raise it with my pharmacist or my doctor. Sometimes I go out and find journal articles too.

Sounds like you are using the VA, I'd believe you if you said it was time consuming and the doctors didn't have enough time for you.