Hospitals Fight Drug Scarcity

[LadyEagle]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/06/02/us-drugs-shortages-idUSBRE8500K220120602

I AM NOT SURPRISED THIS IS HAPPENING, JUST SURPRISED IT IS HAPPENING ALREADY!!

The article lists several reasons, and doesn't mention a BIG factor coming down the pike - Obamacare!!!

We are stocking up when we can on our own maintenance medications (blood pressure, thyroid, etc.) because I predict that once obamacare goes into full force, the drug supply will dwindle down and prices will soar. Apparently, I am right, if this shortage at hospitals is happening already.

There are ways for patients to stock up for the future under obamacare - even if it bides you a few months of time at a time - even though most plans will not let you bump up your refill until just a few days before you are due, but over time, a few days here, a few days there, switching drug plans, joining pharmacy plans, getting 90 day supplies, using mail order - all perfectly legal, there are ways to start your own stockpile. And those expiration dates? Some medications may lose their strength but are still good anyway. Some may get stronger. You just have to research the shelf life on your meds....

I predict that even basic maintenance medications, heart medications, insulin, antihypertensives, pain medications, antbiotics, antidepressants, drugs used for Parkinson's or Alzheimers, mental illness, all of these drugs that are very commonly prescribed and available in generic form, readily available today, will not be readily available under obamacare as stock supplies run low at the pharmacies across the nation, suppliers and manufacturers face increasing regulation under obama's FDA, leaving people to go without, dying from things that would have been easily prevented if they had been able to get their medications. The rich will always have access because they will have the right "connections." Street drugs will still be easy to get. But for the average Joe, life maintenance or life saving drugs will become scarce.

This is another way obamacare will control the population, in the old Darwinian way, "survival of the fittest" - weeding out those who have health problems (they will die because of lack of access to medical care or medication), including seniors. Abortion on one end, cruel deaths on the other end of life. Watch and see. :tear:

 

[poncho]

Depopulation.

 

[billwald]

Capitalism at work.

 

[Sapper Woody]

Capitalism at work.

Ok, I'll bite. How is this "Capitalism at work"?

 

[billwald]

" Health officials blame the shortages on industry consolidation that has left only a handful of generic manufacturers of these drugs, even as the number of drugs going off patent is growing. Some drugmakers have been plagued by manufacturing problems that have shut down multiple plants or production lines, while others have stopped producing a treatment when profit margins erode too far."

In other words, Drug companies stop production when the patent runs out. Maybe the government should go into the drug business if Big Pharma refuses.

 

[Sapper Woody]

" Health officials blame the shortages on industry consolidation that has left only a handful of generic manufacturers of these drugs, even as the number of drugs going off patent is growing. Some drugmakers have been plagued by manufacturing problems that have shut down multiple plants or production lines, while others have stopped producing a treatment when profit margins erode too far."

In other words, Drug companies stop production when the patent runs out. Maybe the government should go into the drug business if Big Pharma refuses.

That quote doesn't say what you said. It said that the blame lies with generic manufacturers, even though patents are running out. In other words, the generic companies could pick up the slack, but aren't.

It does say that some have stopped when profit margins erode too far. But that's obvious. Medicines can't be made freely. That's why we need to keep up research into alternative/cheaper medicines that work.

Of course, we could just have Evengelist-7 go through hospitals, healing everyone. That'd be nice and cost effective. :laugh: