In a fit of hubris, President Trump believes he is making drug makers “come clean” by forcing them to mention list prices in their TV ads.
If only it were that simple.
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Getting a grip on the outrageous drug pricing in the US is long overdue, but the current hop-scotch process will not work. It would behove the US to look at other nations where healthcare costs are NOT exorbitant and don’t ruin families for ill health, and start to implement and adopt the system that is fair to ALL citizens in those countries. The US is stuck in an old, old rut that needs major overhaul to be brought into the 21st century. The notion of buying drugs in other countries (that succesfully took that long and complicated road over many decennia) is just a useless short-term fix (and utterly selfish). Like with the disintegrating dams, roads, bridges, and insufficient fresh water supply: the US needs to think and act far more pro-active, and fix the dilapidated systems in its own house.
I would love to see Abbvie and Gilead go head to head and expand their already pervasive and ubiquitous TV ads for Mavyret against Harvoni to include detailed pricing!
More often than not the physician prescribing the medicine does not know the cost of the medicine. Should cost of medication be a factor in determining what medicine to prescribe?
Hi Glenn
Thanks for stopping by. And you asked a simple, but also complicated question. I believe the answer is yes – sometimes. If an alternative exist, a physician should take a moment to explain to the patient that there are options, but one may be less expensive than the other, and then detail the clinical and financial differences.
This may only be appropriate for some patients and/or certain circumstances, but I would argue the possibility is worth considering.
Regards,
ed at pharmalot
Ed, I totally agree with you, the doctor should know the price of the drug. But is it not deceiving to the Dr. by showing him a retail price of $350 … when the actual cost to the pharmacy is $22.50 ? Why not show the WAC price so the Dr. sees the real cost …. These inflated prices are the smoke and mirrors of the PBM’s for their own greed.
What is wrong with “shifting costs around”? I am all for shifting my out-of-pocket drug cost down and make other more affordable folks with higher incomes pay more!
Ed,
Until Trump and Azar realize that the retail price of a drug means nothing , and by posting this bogus price on TV will not accomplish anything, drug prices will not come down! Keeping the retail prices of drugs in place will just allow the PBM’s to continue to fleece this country of billions of dollars. Remember spread pricing ? This method of stealing is only able to happen because there is a retail price ! This country was built on having competition ! That will bring prices down. If a drug manufacturer wants better placement on a formulary, let them have a better price. It’s not about paying extortion money to the PBM’s for better placement. Then the Mfg says, well let’s raise the price cause the PBM’s just screwed us without any lube !!!!!!!
Glad to see somebody try something! More than anyone else has ever done!
A textbook case of pretending to do something, to keep everything the way it is.
Some temporary outrage at most. That will rise people’s blood pressure requiring prescription medications, and so on