All across the country, Americans are finding that the prices of the prescription drugs they need are soaring. Tragically, doctors tell us that many of their patients can no longer afford their medicine. As a result, some get sicker. Others die.
A new Kaiser Health poll shows that most Americans think prescription drug costs in this country are unreasonable, and that drug companies put profits before people. Want to know something? They're right.
Americans pay the highest prices for prescription drugs in the world -- by far. Drug costs increased 12.6 percent last year, more than double the rise in overall medical costs. (Inflation in this country was 0.8 percent that year.)
Even before that, we spent nearly 40 percent more per person on prescriptions in 2013 than they did in Canada, the next most expensive industrialized country. Prescription drugs cost nearly five times more per person in this country than they did in Denmark that year.
This is not a partisan issue. Most Americans -- Republicans, Democrats, and independents -- want Congress to do something about drug prices. 86 percent of those polled, including 82 percent of Republicans, think drug companies should be required to release information to the public on how they set their prices. Large majorities support other solutions to the drug cost problem as well.
The Kaiser poll also showed that Republican voters care more about drug prices than they do about repealing Obamacare. They should. Republicans in Congress have tried to repeal that law so many times that it's an embarrassment. It's also a distraction from the very real health care problems our country faces. Millions of Americans still can't see a doctor when they need one. Another poll showed that nearly one in five Americans didn't fill a prescription because of cost.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bernie-sanders/high-drug-prices-are-kill_b_8059526.html
High Drug Prices Are Killing Americans
Discussion in 'News & Current Events' started by Crabtownboy, Sep 1, 2015.
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Crabtownboy Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
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JohnDeereFan Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
I agree. We need to get government out of healthcare so that drug prices will come down to an affordable level.
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Crabtownboy Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
Indeed all healthcare costs are much lower in Europe because the governments there are involved. I have known of people who went to a European country for health care, paid a lot less and received excellent care.
However, because of lobbyists the drug industry was successful in blocking any Medicare payments anywhere outside the country. Of course this costs the tax payer much more, but rewards the big drug companies.
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JohnDeereFan Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
Actually, the government has numerous programs that drive up the cost of drugs.
And if "less" is good, then wouldn't less-er be better?
Second, why are we paying Medicare payments for people outside the country?
Third, if lobbyists are bad, why not abolish the regulations that make lobbyists necessary? -
Revmitchell Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
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InTheLight Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
Sent from my Motorola Droid Turbo with Tapatalk Pro. -
JohnDeereFan Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
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InTheLight Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
Sent from my Motorola Droid Turbo with Tapatalk Pro. -
church mouse guy Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
If you want good medical care, go to Cuba! -
JohnDeereFan Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
Once again, capitalism comes through, making an expensive drug available to people who could not otherwise afford it. -
InTheLight Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
Once again you are in error. Rivaroxaban is the FDA registered name for this particular anticoagulant. Xaralto is the trademarked name. There is NO generic equivalent.
http://www.drugs.com/availability/generic-xarelto.html
Does every brand-name drug have a generic drug?
No. New drugs are developed under patent protection, and most drug patents are protected for 17 years giving the drug company the sole right to sell the brand-name drug during that time. Only when the patent expires can other drug companies apply to the FDA for approval to start selling the generic version of the drug.
http://www.drugs.com/generic_drugs.html -
Also, Lawsuits alone will keep the price of xarelto high. -
JohnDeereFan Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
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InTheLight Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
Drugs are patented. If the manufacturer decides not to license out the patent a generic version can only be produced after the patent expires in 17 years.
If this is not the way it works please tell us how it works.
Been inside a pharmacy lately? Typically there is a huge wall mounted chart showing when each drug's patent expires. -
InTheLight Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
Besides Warfarin please list the other generic anti-coagulants that are dirt cheap.
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blessedwife318 Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
I have long said drug prices are out of control but the government is part of the problem, and Obamcare just made it worse, so you'll forgive if I'm sceptical of government solving a problem it helped to create. -
Revmitchell Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
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InTheLight Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
At no point did I suggest a government solution to high drug prices. However, I will say this - - I could support a shorter patent duration for drugs. A drug patent length of 10 years instead of 17 years would mean generics would get to market much faster. Unfortunately, this would likely mean that manufacturers would set prices even higher than they are now since they would only have 10 years to recoup R&D costs before the generics hit the market. -
Revmitchell Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
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It's up to them.
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