out of curiosity, how much would this drug cost in Europe if they had required prescriptions as well

the article does a good job of showing the self serving double speak and the lack of pursuing an OTC option in the US, but I want to compare costs directly, since the article also acknowledges that OTC would have been much cheaper than $800 in the US too

Europe doesn't have a single health service. There are going to be different prices in different countries under different schemes.

In my EU country I get a subsidy of at least two thirds on most drug prices with a state prescription. But the nominal cost is already negotiated down by state purchasing, and I suspect there's some EU cooperation there. So it's impossible to say what the "normal" price would be.

The cost of the paperwork depends on your doctor. I pay €3 for new paperwork a few times a year.

You can get many drugs OTC here without a prescription - more expensive, but it always surprises tourists who suddenly discover they can get many common meds (except for things like antibiotics and steroids) just by asking.

Not a meaningful difference. I can't recall a time when I got prescription drugs in EU and had to pay a lot.