Featured High Drug Prices Are Killing Americans

As a member of Kaiser HMO, which I've been since 1974, I too have concerns regarding the steady increase in copays for my Rx's. I can no longer afford the copays, and have had to cease getting several meds (asthma meds) refilled. It is a matter of paying the mortgage, buying food and healthcare. I can't even afford to drive 90 mile round trips for appointments. So, yes there are problems, and they all go back to Kaisers implementation of Obamacare. Even Kaiser blames Obamacare. Your man.

 

You mean other than the Happy Harry's/Walgreen's I managed for three years?

 

Any pharmacy will do. And please tell us how the drug patenting and release of generics scenario that I outlined is incorrect. Also, the generic version of Xaralto.

 

Agreed. I've never said otherwise.

What CTB said in the OP is true--there are new drugs that could prolong the lives of patients and could alleviate debilitating symptoms of patients that are not being taken by people because they can't afford them. The question is what, if anything, to do about it.

 

Kill the monetary incentive for creating new drugs and they will stop being created.

I don't see the government doing anything but making it worse.

 

This is true under classic capitalism.

Agreed. The likely scenario is that there will be a call for government subsidized or perhaps government owned and run laboratories to research new drugs. It's likely that some sort of cost effective criteria will become part of the FDA approval process, like it is in Europe. This could lead to a worse situation than today--life saving drugs developed by the government but deemed too expensive to distribute.

 

Happy Harry's. Good name for a pharmacy. :laugh::laugh: