Question

[Confounding]

did you have another point here?

Ultimately my point is that drug prices could go down and drug companies would still be very profitable. I think it's disgusting that in the United States of America sick people are dying because they can't afford the medicine they need, and I question the humanity of anybody that isn't bothered by that.

Because I'm pretty sure the $2.5 billion number that my link showed was strictly spending on the drug company side.

Can you verify that? You might be right; I'm not sure.

 

[Toddsterpatriot]

did you have another point here?

Ultimately my point is that drug prices could go down and drug companies would still be very profitable. I think it's disgusting that in the United States of America sick people are dying because they can't afford the medicine they need, and I question the humanity of anybody that isn't bothered by that.

Because I'm pretty sure the $2.5 billion number that my link showed was strictly spending on the drug company side.

Can you verify that? You might be right; I'm not sure.

Ultimately my point is that drug prices could go down and drug companies would still be very profitable.

Pass tort reform, prices on lots of things would go down.
Making the FDA less stupid would also help.

 

[Sun Devil 92]

How does it happen that many of the prescription drugs sold in Canada are sold for a fraction of what they are sold for here? Life saving drugs made in the same factories and put in the same bottles are substantially more expensive in the United States. Why is that? Also, why are we not allowed to buy those drugs from Canada where they are cheaper? Could it perhaps have something to do with the pharmaceutical industry pouring money into politics? Maybe we should do something about that.

In Canada, you won't get current generation drugs.

You'll get one or two previous. They are slow to approve them so that they can justify paying less for the older stuff.

Not that it is that bad.

 

[Arianrhod]

How does it happen that many of the prescription drugs sold in Canada are sold for a fraction of what they are sold for here? Life saving drugs made in the same factories and put in the same bottles are substantially more expensive in the United States. Why is that? Also, why are we not allowed to buy those drugs from Canada where they are cheaper? Could it perhaps have something to do with the pharmaceutical industry pouring money into politics? Maybe we should do something about that.

In Canada, you won't get current generation drugs.

You'll get one or two previous. They are slow to approve them so that they can justify paying less for the older stuff.

Not that it is that bad.

If you order "American" drugs from a "Canadian" website, you'll get "American" drugs...by way of Bangalore.

 

[Sun Devil 92]

did you have another point here?

Ultimately my point is that drug prices could go down and drug companies would still be very profitable. I think it's disgusting that in the United States of America sick people are dying because they can't afford the medicine they need, and I question the humanity of anybody that isn't bothered by that.

Because I'm pretty sure the $2.5 billion number that my link showed was strictly spending on the drug company side.

Can you verify that? You might be right; I'm not sure.

You've also got drug companies who are telling Canada to not get used to the prices.

Pretty soon, they'll be offering it to Canada at one price...and if Canada won't pay....Canada won't get.

They are not a very large market.

 

[Arianrhod]

I knew "tort reform" would worm its way into the conversation eventually.

As for the FDA, yes, it needs to detangle the red tape and the redundancies, but it's never gotten over the thalidomide nightmare (even though thalidomide has been used in cancer treatment for decades) so it's become a bureaucratic monstrosity.

 

[Sun Devil 92]

How does it happen that many of the prescription drugs sold in Canada are sold for a fraction of what they are sold for here? Life saving drugs made in the same factories and put in the same bottles are substantially more expensive in the United States. Why is that? Also, why are we not allowed to buy those drugs from Canada where they are cheaper? Could it perhaps have something to do with the pharmaceutical industry pouring money into politics? Maybe we should do something about that.

It has to do with Canada being a small market and not using many of those drugs.

Also...could you please provide a concrete example of this.

I keep hearing about it, but don't see anyone posting the actual dollars.