Posted on 11/29/2004 11:51:02 AM PST by softengine
I know I am dumb , but Damned if I can understand how Pharmaceutical companies can sell the same drug in Canada cheaper than they sell it here. Why should we have to save money by shipping those drugs from the US to Canada then back to the US. It doesnt make sense.
Having worked in it for many years, it is my opinion that the only purpose of the FDA is to breed corrupt parasites who are rewarded for their deference with nice private sector jobs when their government service is over.
Twenty-odd years ago if you had a heart attack and managed to get to the ER, they could zap you and thump you -- and maybe you'd live after a long, painful, possibly crippling recovery.
Now, every day there are people walking out of the hospital the next day, saved by "Big Pharma" and those greedy hospital personnel...and no one has even an ounce of thankfulness in their hearts...
Wait until Michael Moore's new movie comes out - it's all about the "evil" drug industry. Of course, one of the articles of faith of the kook left is about how corporations in general are evil, and how the government, by contrast, is good.
Stop those ridiculous tv ads.
As if we haven't endured enough of his lies for one decade.
The fact that Michael Moore has announced that his next movie is an attack job on the pharmacutical industry is all I need to know.
I'll have you know that are ads are very done in a tasteful and understated manner. For goodness sake! Are you accusing our new director, Ron Jeremy, of being lowbrow???
Why should books cost $30-40 dollars? Authors make way to much in royalites, as do publishers, and bookstores..Let's have a fair price..
Unfortunately, the pharma industry's marketing practices are ripe for criticism. So much wasted $, it's beyond comprehension. And I say unfortunately, because MM shouldn't be the one to expose it.
It takes 300$ million now for a new drug to get approval. Just how do these people think the industry is going to recoup the costs? ( Answer: they don't , it just costs allot so therefore they must be greedy )
(Biting quivering lip. Making that weird, Clintonesque hand gesture toward the cameras.)
MY BOOK ADVANCE WAS NOT EXCESSIVE!
Bump to me
They have so much money, they don't know what to do with it all. Many consulting and IT companies are busy relieving them of it.
Because the Canadian health monopoly is setting the prices companies can charge.
Basically, since drug companies must make money on a drug years after all the development money is spent, the Canadians are stealing some part of their drug supply from us.
The worst thing that could happen for the Canadians is to allow US customers to buy at Canadian prices. All that will happen is that Canadians will quickly be forced to pay full boat for drugs like we do because the drug companies must get the return on their costs or go bust. Canadians would pay what we do, or they wouldn't get the drugs.
Good article - what's frustrating is that the Marcia Angell's of the world will get all the important media soundbites, and all the face time in front of congres, while the other side is never (adequately) presented.
Angell sounds like Hillary. Wonder if MM's movie and this book have anything to do with Hillary being the candidate in '08?
Why should books cost $30-40 dollars? Authors make way to much in royalites, as do publishers, and bookstores..Let's have a fair price..
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As a side note...many authors fail to even earn back their advances, let alone make a buck off of royalties. I am aspiring to be a published writer, and the research I have done tells me that's pretty much the industry standard...with most first books, esp. Unless you are already famous -or infamous!-, write about controversial or current topics, or already an established author, you really can't hope to make much. (Unless you wanna crank out cheesy romance novels, lol!) Publishers and booksellers are a different kettle of fish altogether.
Its a small market; the drug companies can afford to give them a small discount because they can make it up in the much bigger market next door.
In other words, the US consumer pays for Canada's discount.
Which is why I'm in favor of allowing cross-border drug sales. If drugs are being resold back into the US market, the Canadians will lose their discount. They know this, actually, and have already started to prohibit drug sales into the US. Which is fine. If the practice is to be outlawed, let the Canadians do it. We shouldn't be in the practice of protecting their discount for them.
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