The Bottomless Pit That is Big Pharma
It's about time. Time to recognize the damage our big pharma is doing to us, the people of the United States of America. We are fighting for healthcare, for affordable healthcare, yet our biggest challenge lies within the pharmaceutical industry in the United States that is unparalleled in its greed and profit-making and drives the cost of drugs sorely needed by so many beyond their reach. There is no justifiable reason for the prices we pay for our medications. Take a look around the world and you will see why there isn't.
http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/25/opinion/caplan-prescription-drugs/index.html?iref=allsearch
Prescription drugs cost Americans far more than they do people living in many other parts of the world. This is because drug companies spend a fortune on direct-to-consumer sales and marketing (which they don't do in other countries) and because other nations negotiate better deals for drugs than private insurers do in the United States.
Arthur CaplanIs there anything that can be done to lower costs and increase the availability of more affordable and equally effective drugs? Yes.
Zachary CaplanEarlier this year, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in a case that drew little attention in the media: Federal Trade Commission v. Actavis . The stakes are high.
When the court decides this case, probably in June, it will either reinforce Big Pharma shenanigans that have helped keep prices high and skyrocketing, or finally bring some relief to our pocketbook and escalating national health care bill for drugs.
The issue is whether companies that own patents for prescription drugs can pay other companies that want to make cheaper generic versions not to do so, a practice known as pay-for-delay.
One way to get lower prices on drugs is to get generic versions out to replace name-brand drugs. Generic drugs include the exact same active ingredients as the brand names. The difference is the name of the medication and the color or shape of the pill.
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Prescription drug manufacturers, fearing the arrival of cheaper generics and knowing or worrying that their patents alone won't keep out competitors, try to buy off the competition instead.
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How much do you pay for your medications? Are you aware how much cheaper it could be? Without compromising the quality?
Yup.
Also for consideration...
Do you own your genes, or can Big Pharma patent them?
Human Gene Patenting: Yes, Companies Can Own Your DNA
These are the greedy corporate entities that will enslave humanity.
Big Pharma's problems go much deeper than the expense of drugs in the US. Greed drives this machine to manufacture drugs that are either ineffective, or only equally effective as existing drugs with expired patents. Manipulation of trials data is routine and blatant, and trials are almost exclusively done outside of the countries that the market is focussed on. Making drugs is simply a gamble - as long as the profits will outweigh the legal settlements significantly enough, this industry could not care less about your health.
Yes, Larry, that is so true and so unethical! That we allow this to happen, even more so!
Don't get me started about trials.
Remember the ad campaign for "One More Less" for the HPV vaccination?
True facts: When my husband and I were trying to figure out if we wanted this vaccination.. this is what we found out. The shot, which was being recommended for girls 11 years, was never tested on that age group. Why? It was unethical to test on that age group. It was only tested on 18 year old and older. Did you get that? They were pushing a vaccination on girls, that was never tested on that age group, because it was unethical to do, but not to sell at $300 out of pocket. Do we know the long term effects of this vaccination on a 11 year old's developing body. No. Do we even know the short term/ side effects... no. But push this vaccine they did. So much so, that Texas almost made it a law... why, because big pharm is in bed with our government, which means the FDA, who approved this vaccine knowing fully it was never tested on the age group it was being recommended for.
BTW on more kicker... the vaccine was only for 4 out 7 strains of HPV, when the vaccine first came out. I think parents would do far better telling their daughters to wear a condom and prevent all the other STDs as well. It's safer and cheaper.
I know exactly what you mean, Perrie dear! I was totally averse to this vaccine for my daughter and held out against it as long as I could. Simply making promises of preventing a few of the many viruses wasn't a good enough reason to get it for my child. Marketing it through the sort of tactics big pharma uses to sell its products is distasteful to me. Worse still, many pediatricians are either persuaded or "bribed" into the fold of the these tactics. Like a wave, all teen girls were suddenly being vaccinated and you were thought to be an idiot if you didn't follow suit. Even though, in our case, insurance covered the cost, I was against it. For the same reasons you were.
Hal, there is a lot of humbug in this business - we know it, but we feel helpless against it. As the article suggests, it can be changed, but will it? That is a multi-billion dollar question! Those with the billions have the power, unfortunately.
And we don't
It's dreadful.
Part of the problem is that our judicial system has been woefully lacking when it comes to understanding the complexities of thetechnology(it's a lot to ask a judge to grasp the scientific nuances of gene splicing, or manipulation of terminology for instance...). Cases have come before our courts for years now; but, ignorance and big money are hindering justice.
Neetu, this is one of my biggest beefs about the medical industry. I pay 1/3 of what I make for my medications. And there is no need for it.
So, yes, I agree, and yes, they all need to be thumped.
I totally agree, Dowser! I seethe with so much anger when I see what the rest of the world pays for the same medications and how our big pharma dupes us this way! No, it doesn't have to be like this. They talk about reducing healthcare costs and making it affordable for all - a load of humbug! It can never happen with this blatant rip off no one seems to address.
I am very fortunate to be drug free. I don't have to take anything. But there are a lot of people that take a meals worth of pills everyday. I hope I can stay this way for a long time, but we never know. Heck after being rear ended on the interstate 20 years ago, my back was really giving me problems. If I had allowed the surgeon to have his way I would have a back operation in my past right now, but I rarely have any back problems. I bet I would have problems if I had allowed the surgeon to operate.
Zinc and a few vitamins are my favorite drugs, but they still cost a fortune for what you get and who knows if they really do anything for you? I seem to have a little more energy when I take them, but I have more energy when I take 5 cups of coffee too.
If you eat a good diet, vitamins really don't do anything, Six, and in fact, can do harm if consumed excessively (recent reports have been published about that and their potential to cause certain types of cancers). I think coffee certainly boosts energy, lol!
At some point in our lives, we need medications and that's when the bill hits us. Again, remember how the health insurance costs stack up even for routine medications, due to these high price tags. There's no getting away from the costs even if we don't use medication. It's factored into the insurance premiums and prescription plans people buy.