I always worry about additional governmental regulation and its unintended consequences, but in this case I don't see how the impact of such a policy could be any worse than the current structure.
I put 3 different types of drops in my eyes twice a day (glaucoma).
Each Rx costs between $130-$150. And that is for 10 ml, one month supply.
I figured it out, translating that to a gallon of the stuff (I used a gallon because I know what a gallon looks like, like in a milk container, or the gas tank), it is close to $40,000 a gallon.
A couple of thoughts:
Thank goodness for medical insurance!!
I'll never complain about the cost of gas again.
I told my doctor about the cost of the Rx he was prescribing and his response was a shrug of the shoulders and mumbled something about the purity the drug maker has to put into the Rx.
Rather like the IRS and "Fair Tax", ya' know?
And let's not forget all those John Deans out there. The Trial Liars Assoc., which you cite, would be down the throats of Congress in half a heart-beat. And most of the congress-critters are lawyers too.
As for the cost of drugs....I worked for a defense contractor in another life. I know exactly why toilet seats were $600 each. The pharma companies are in the same position with bureaucratic regulation compliance and performance administrivia. Billion$ in lost productivity and products is the result.
Your observation vis-a-vis the Justice(?) System is interesting, but until us Boomers start screaming (i.e. voting) when the drugs aren't forthcoming, we'll have no opportunity to 'plea bargain'
JMO....
The average cost of bringing a new drug to market has now reached $800 million. These silver bullets are becoming more elusive, and more expensive, at a time when we need them most.
In a nutshell, then, the very regulatory process which is designed to ensure that patients have access to safe, effective drugs -- leads to fewer drugs being available for fewer people. I fear that the populist remedies from the Democrats will kill the goose that lays the golden pills -- and just in time for the baby boomers to retire.Euthanasia is part of their agenda, as is health care rationing for the elderly. Lester Thurow gave an op-ed some years ago on PBS' "Nightly Business Report" in which he noted that most of a American's health care dollars are spent in the last year of life, and that should be stopped.