General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsIs there any limit to the greed of pharmaceutical companies?
The following story from the LA Times shows some consequences of our ridiculous drug prices. Only in America does the government encourage this abuse. For a private citizen, printing money is called counterfeiting and is prosecuted by the feds, but big pharma practically has a license to print money.
http://www.latimes.com/business/hiltzik/la-fi-hiltzik-20150621-column.html#page=1
hifiguy
(33,688 posts)It is the nature of predatory, rapacious, unregulated capitalists to be greedy, predatory and rapacious. Just like the scorpion in the fable, they can be nothing else.
-none
(1,884 posts)Someone needs to lock the doors, so that stops happening.
Lionel Mandrake
(4,078 posts)which has been bought and paid for by corporate lobbyists, including those sent by big pharma.
ProgressiveEconomist
(5,818 posts)among Prez candidates does not rely on wink-nod corporate payoffs.
-none
(1,884 posts)No way will they cut their own bribery side income.
ProgressiveEconomist
(5,818 posts)The oncologists at MSK hospital in NYC rebelled against a Sanofi drug's price by boycotting it and writing a NYT op-ed. So the company cut hospitals in on some of the $11 k a month per patient action!
hifiguy
(33,688 posts)They are not bugs in the system, they are baked-in features.
ProgressiveEconomist
(5,818 posts)was about how drug companies bring prices of older competing drugs up to the levels of new drugs. The price of Gleevec, which unlike most cancer meds, extends life for years rather than just weeks, tripled in about a decade, to $92k a year.
redstateblues
(10,565 posts)And the doctors put the screws to people with cancer. Unbelievable!
djean111
(14,255 posts)Even worse for those poor Vietnamese farmers, too - I believe countries will be given their formularies by Big Pharma, and will not be able to negotiate. Like I said elsewhere, the intent is not to lower American salaries and standard of living and raise up the poorer countries - the intent is to lower the American salaries and standard of living. Period. And line corporate pockets.
rock
(13,218 posts)So no.
IcyPeas
(21,957 posts)Look at this quote - it's outrageous:
http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2015/05/25/408021704/multiple-sclerosis-patients-stressed-out-by-soaring-drug-costs
Logical
(22,457 posts)msongs
(67,509 posts)drug companies that make money
Logical
(22,457 posts)WinkyDink
(51,311 posts)blue neen
(12,336 posts)and there are plenty to choose from.
Lionel Mandrake
(4,078 posts)Medicare part D is a gift to big pharma and to giant insurance companies. When he was Senate Majority leader, Trent Lot was adamant that Medicare not be allowed to negotiate prices with drug manufacturers, and he got his way. The result: drug companies can charge whatever the traffic will bear. No other nation has such a disgraceful policy on drug prices. Nowhere else are drugs as expensive as in the USA.
When a drug patent expires and a generic version threatens to come on the market, the manufacturer of the name brand sometimes pays the other company NOT to sell the generic, or to delay doing so. Where is the FTC when such a blatant conspiracy in restraint of trade is being perpetrated? Their silence is deafening.
Why does our government do whatever will maximize the profits of big pharma? Could it be because of contributions from big pharma to friendly politicians running for office?
blue neen
(12,336 posts)Also, it's interesting that sometimes Big Pharma seems to fight with Big Insurance, and other times they're colluding with them. Whatever works out to their advantage, apparently.