WASHINGTON — Donald Trump is unorthodox, to say the least, when it comes to his opinions about the drug industry.
The GOP has historically been a staunch ally for drug companies. But during and after the campaign, the Republican president-elect has sworn he would bring down drug costs, flirting with policies that sound more in line with Bernie Sanders than Paul Ryan.
A lot of us are pro market when it functions. If u dont like my store u can go across the street and see my competition for better service, quality and pricing. I can go shopping anytime.
But when it comes to medicine, if i need the best heart med like statin, im buying the best medicine that will save my life. But what good is it if i cant afford it. If i cant afford it, i might die.
Epi pen is a good example of this. The medicine itself lost its patent long time ago. But its the injection system that still has the patent. So list price rose to 500 when its original price was 5 for 2. So now i have an allergic reaction to a bee sting, i have seconds to plunge it in my leg or arm. Otherwise i face death. In emergency medicine every second count. But if i can’t afford it, i cant buy it to save ny life.
They say we will give discounts. If i take my asthma meds and it risesband rises, what good are once in a while discounts??? If i cant afford the meds such as an emergency inhaler when i have an asthma attack, i will die.
When the health insurance that covers meds rises and rises who can afford it???
U have money to pay and u live??? The rest dont…. sorry u die because u cant afford it???
This happens in the third world.
I did not vote for Trump, but if he will really rein in the greed of Big Pharma, I say, “That is a good start. The ultra greedy insurance companies, with their sky high premiums and deductibles, must be reined way, way in. No other developed nation has our high cost of health care. Our nation has a very poor show for the money. Our longevity has decreased, and with a 3 -5 thousand dollar deductible, young people might as well have no insurance.
Now, we must keep Paul Ryan far away from Medicare and Social Security, these are NOT entitlements, they were paid for by, those of us who are seniors, all our working lives, and Medicare, still costs us money every month.
Without Medicare, many of us would be dead. OH, perhaps that is what Ryan would like to see. He might just advocate that everyone over 65 sent a “little pill” to be taken at bedtime, and no one over 65 would see the next morning.
You could have just summarized this whole article in:
Trump just made empty false claims to win votes. In reality, he will work hard to assure that pharmas (and himself) will have a future with less regulations and increase profits, with no regard whatsoever for both patients and public spending.
You in the pharmaceutical industry must take a long, hard look at yourselves. You have too many, highly paid, CEOs, and elaborate buildings. You, also, have “pharmacy representatives,” known as pharmacy reps. These, highly paid individuals, also, receive bonuses and perks that add to the, all ready exorbitant cost of our medications, even the generic medications. These “Reps” are usually not pharmacists, and merely parrot what the company brochure has in writing, regarding a new medication which is costlier than an older medication with no change in efficacy.
Your greed is costing lives, because of your greed, many people cannot afford even the generic medication, and take less than their doctor’s recommended doses, and this can shorten lives. Are you proud of what you do? You should not be. You in Big Pharma should be ashamed of your practices.
In 1987 Congress passed the Drug Reimportation Act and our prices doubled, so every other country paid half what we did, except Canada who uses reference prices, 5 at half price and 1 [the U.S. at full price] and ended up with 30% lower prices.
It didn’t take long for “seniors” to bus to Canada to save $0.30 on then $1 pills. Now they costs thousands a month and only fools or those unable to fly to Europe to save 50%, or to Asia or India to save 90%, are trapped in the “donut hole” while drug manufacturers advertise like mad to convince us that we aren’t buying pills or injections we are buying value, that Europeans and Asian see as still being a better deal if not accepting BS! There is a time when modern communications tell politicians that taxpayers can’t be fooled any more!
If Trump doesn’t act he’ll have a democratic Congress in 2019!!!
The GOP should NOT be aligned with pharma. The industry was a major supporter of the ACA and therefore the Democrats – and have used it to leverage astounding price increases. The article is founded on a false premise.
I have a patient who paid a 75.00 co pay and Medicare was billed 575.00 and received some where in the $300.00 range for the same topical anesthetic that the dentist rubs on the gums so you don’t feel the shot. We pay $26.00 for the same!
I think we should be able to buy medications from overseas. Pharm companies will lower the prices dramatically.
Those overseas distributors must ship the medications the way they bought from American pharm companies to ensure the integrity of the medications we receive.
Our business and government leaders have to learn to curtail greed at the expense of American consumers.
We have to teach the young generation there is a bigger concept than greed in life and we have leaders who believe in that idea.
We must become a nation in which human decency prevails.
I tried to submit. I have never responded as I do now in my life. So accept my submission. Thank you.
I think we should be able to buy medications from overseas. Pharm companies will lower the prices dramatically.
Those overseas distributors must ship the medications the way they bought from American pharm companies to ensure the integrity of the medications we receive.
Our business and government leaders have to learn to curtail greed at the expense of American consumers.
We have to teach the young generation there is a bigger concept than greed in life and we have leaders who believe in that idea.
We must become a nation in which human decency prevails.
For Big Pharma, this story should be titled, “Caveat Emptor!”
As Trump took the GOP from the country club to the union halls, he is tuned into the economic grievances hobbling the middle class. Trump will not be able to ignore this rise in populism he encouraged that clearly identifies the economic uncompetitiveness of Big Pharma as a major issue, including:
1) The unrepentant exorbitant price increases in drugs as related to the Faustian bargain the Obama Administration created with Big Pharma for its support in 2009 of the now rejected ACA.
2) The $250+ million spent by Big Pharma lobbying Congress just to pass the Medicare Part D Act of 2002 to ensure an open spigot of drugs at retail cost; denying Medicare the right to negotiate prices.
3) The push to the edge of the envelope by Big Pharma violating the RICO and anti-trust laws to protect their monopoly branded drug by either attacking generics to prevent market entry, or, to pay-off generics to delay their introduction into the market.
4) The uncompetitive market concentration of Big Pharma’s monopoly products priced at whatever the market will bear in the U.S.; yet, succumbing to price and profit caps everywhere else in the world.
Just as Trump attacked Boeing and Lockheed Martin for exorbitant profits, now that he is firmly in the catbird seat, he will understand the unmistakeable parallels to such excessive profiteering by Big Pharma. Trump will also not be deceived by Big Pharma’s threats to reduce R&D if forced to contain their prices. Trump will accomplish what neither the insurance nor the hospital industries could do against the “elephant in the room”–Big Pharma.