Posted on 02/22/2017 4:47:54 AM PST by davikkm
First of Four Parts… The Pharma Companies In the Crosshairs
During last year’s presidential campaign, candidate Donald Trump said that if elected, he would save the federal government billions by forcing the pharmaceutical companies to negotiate—that is, lower—their prices.
On January 11, 2017, President-elect Trump said that the pharma companies were “getting away with murder” in their pricing, and reiterated his demand for new competition policies aimed at bringing down costs.
On January 31, President Trump met face-to-face with top executives and offered a more nuanced exposition of his thinking. First, he reiterated his oft-expressed point about the value of market forces:
US drug companies have produced extraordinary results for our country, but the prices have been astronomical. . . . We have to get the prices down. . . . Competition [is] the key to lower drug prices.
Second, Trump demonstrated that he fully understood the life-saving value of medical innovation: “New drugs have led to longer, healthier lives—we all know that—but we have to do better accelerating cures.” (This author has taken note of Trump’s advocacy of a “Cure Strategy” many times, including here and here.)
“Big Pharma” ought to take all of Trump’s words to heart, because the President is putting forth a balanced package that includes a carrot, as well as a stick. By contrast, most other politicians, at least the ones who are most vocal, are brandishing only the stick.
(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...
Before obamacare, the med I take for migraines cost $19 a month - now, I pay $280.
They are “getting away with murder,” and then some.
Why are you blaming the drug companies, when it's obvious from your statement that the cause is government.
The actual cost to produce most drugs is so close to zero that it can be ignored in most analyses. The biggest elephant in the room is government? It now takes 2 and a half billion dollars (yes, Billion, with a B) to approve a drug for sale. The vast bulk of that cost is government regulations. You should be blaming Obama, not the company that is providing your relief.
The lawsuits and the lawyers that pursue them must be brought under control.
“Competition” can, temporarily, lower prices. State ownership can lower them even further.
But neither model addresses capitalization of research and development, which is what is at issue here.
I have had a front-row seat to the development of successful HIV drugs, and of curative therapy for hepatitis C. The production of these drugs isn’t very expensive.
But the discovery of the molecules, their characterization, the medicinal chemistry involved in turning an unstable molecule into a pill that can sit in a bottle on a shelf all costs a fortune. How much of THAT work goes into the price of a pill is a social decision (as s the decision to do it in the first place).
Right now, Americans pay for this service for themselves and the rest of the world. The rest of the world only charges for producing the actual physical pill.
Sounds like government is the problem, rather than evil industry trying to make a profit in an era of big government.
Trolling on TV for clients to join a lawsuit against a drug must cease.
When receiving a prescription, to take the medicine, one must first sign a hold harmless agreement negating the lawsuits
THIS is one reason why there are so many NeverTrumpers in the GOP establishment.
It’s an important example of an area where Trump breaks from them on traditional laissez-faire economics.
On this one most of the American people break with it too, and Trump is a Populist.
We can debate the economic pros and cons, but this is what the people voted for.
Trump’s real problem is with the patent system. The pharma bashers expect drug companies to develop drugs in return for patents and then have their patents effectively rescinded via price controls on the patented drugs. Or via imports fron patent violating countries. If they are going to continue bashing drug companies, Trump and his leftist allies on this issue need to give us a substitute model of drug development. What is it to be? Government financed development?
A good friend of mine had his prostate removed about 10 years ago. He needed Viagra and at first the pills were about $10 each. Now they are $30 each. Insurance doesn’t cover it. I would say that yes, drug companies are gouging.
Conservatives advocating for government control of industry is unfortunate. Reminds me of the 60's hippies who chanted "food for people, not for profit." Now it's "drugs for people, not for profit."
The people voted for the socialization of entire industries? If that's true, then the people are morons.
Countries with price controls do not innovate.
Medical Devices Can Turn Deadly
https://townhall.com/columnists/betsymccaughey/2017/02/22/medical-devices-can-turn-deadly-n2288792?utm_source=thdaily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=nl&newsletterad=
NOT ONE word was said about the HORRID SIDE EFFECT RIDDLED ADDICTIVE DRUGS the FDA has approved. I’ve a side effect drug list a full page long. Lyrica, Neurotin 1 pill will send me to the ER with A-Fib. Much more addictive than NORCO plus all the other side effects no doctor mentions. It’s taken 9 Peripheral Neuropathy drugs to find 1 that I can take for my degenerative spine caused Peripheral Neuropathy.
As soon as Obamacare hit, the cost of my daily meds tripled. Same old snake oil, same old manufacturer. Many new federal pockets to line.
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