in a lot of papers yesterday, there was a story about how millions of people can't afford their prescription drugs. OK. This isn't really new.
Some of these stories allowed comments beneath it. This is where people continue to amaze me. They talk about the evil corporate drug companies who are just out for profit, and it's all their fault!
As Mitt Romney said back in February '08, Drug Companies Are Not Evil.
Do you know how much it costs to develop a new drug? How many trials have to be done? How many scientists you have to pay, lab time has to be bought, oh, and ingredients? How much trial and error before you get a drug that actually works?
This costs money. I'm sorry. And yes, drugs like mine, which fewer people take, costs more, because not that many people need tac or imuran to stay alive.
Look--the U.S. develops a TON of new drugs. This costs money. So you can pick--have the drugs available, or don't have them available, which means certain things, like transplants, can't happen, because we can't solve the rejection component.
It's expensive to stay alive. I know. Should it be this expensive? Discuss. But please do not just blame it on the drug companies.
1 comment:
Why don't people think about the fact that many Americans CHOOSE not be insured? And then when they get sick and can no longer get insurance to cover their new large medication bills, complain.
I can't imagine not having insurance. I don't have any major health issues, and the cash pay on my meds totals nearly $500/month. And that's small potatoes compared to people who actually have major medical issues. Heck, I'll hit my deductible for the year next week.
People need to pony up and have health insurance. I've met too many people my age without insurance (because it's too "expensive") but have fancy cars & huge cell phone/cable bills.
And I like the drug companies. They provide me with medication that allows me to live life without being miserable. They spend billions on research on drugs that have limited markets and/or may take decades to make their money back. It's a service we've got to pay for; it's just "hidden" in the cost of our drugs.
Post a Comment