Why the US Pays more than other countries for Drugs

[bozack]

http://www.wsj.com/articles/why-the-u-s-pays-more-than-other-countries-for-drugs-1448939481?mod=e2fb

“we can’t afford everything for everybody at any price,” - try telling that to the parents of a sick child whose only hope is an on patent branded drug that your countries health board has refused to cover for cost or limited impact to the general population related reasons....

Without adequate funding and resources R&D towards new treatments will most definitely slow down

I am ok with the US restricting pharmas from direct to consumer marketing to reduce costs on that end but companies need to work together on getting other nations accustomed to higher drug costs to help fund R&D vs pandering to their oversight boards cost cutting measures...if "we are all in it together" that should include covering research, not one nation taking it so every other can review efficacy and then haggle for lowest pricing.

 

[fskimospy]

http://www.wsj.com/articles/why-the-u-s-pays-more-than-other-countries-for-drugs-1448939481?mod=e2fb

“we can’t afford everything for everybody at any price,” - try telling that to the parents of a sick child whose only hope is an on patent branded drug that your countries health board has refused to cover for cost or limited impact to the general population related reasons....

Without adequate funding and resources R&D towards new treatments will most definitely slow down

I am ok with the US restricting pharmas from direct to consumer marketing to reduce costs on that end but companies need to work together on getting other nations accustomed to higher drug costs to help fund R&D vs pandering to their oversight boards cost cutting measures...if "we are all in it together" that should include covering research, not one nation taking it so every other can review efficacy and then haggle for lowest pricing.

Sounds like you're calling for a cartel, which is illegal.

Countries (and all market players) should buy drugs at the lowest price they can negotiate, the US included. That we don't allow our government to do so is insane, and simply a form of corporate welfare.

I agree that R&D is extremely important, but if countries want to subsidize drug company R&D they should do so directly instead of throwing money at them and hoping they spend it on research later.

 

[sm625]

“we can’t afford everything for everybody at any price,” - try telling that to the parents of a sick child whose only hope is an on patent branded drug that your countries health board has refused to cover for cost or limited impact to the general population related reasons....

Without adequate funding and resources R&D towards new treatments will most definitely slow down

This is a red herring. The vast majority of our drug spending is on worthless "financial feeding trough" drugs like statins which do absolutely nothing good for the body, and other similar drugs which are prescribed to cover up what are clearly bad lifestyle choices. Proper diet and exercise would be more effective treatments and would cut our medical spending by 50% or more. But doctors dont prescribe only exercise because they are paid to prescribe the "financial feeding trough" drugs.

 

[soundforbjt]

Not to mention all the advertising on tv, radio, etc. We're paying for that as well.

 

[theeedude]

GOP banned Medicare from driving a hard bargain. But of course WSJ is going to tell you it's your fault as a patient.

 

[Strk]

GOP banned Medicare from driving a hard bargain. But of course WSJ is going to tell you it's your fault as a patient.

Sure, it was their baby, but Obama didn't change it. He was only for negotiating until he was president.

 

[Doc Savage Fan]

Sure, it was their baby, but Obama didn't change it. He was only for negotiating until he was president.

Obama made a deal with Big Pharma in order to get ACA passed...a deal that he now plans to break.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/big-pharmas-obamacare-reward-1423180690

 

[michal1980]

Sounds like you're calling for a cartel, which is illegal.

Countries (and all market players) should buy drugs at the lowest price they can negotiate, the US included. That we don't allow our government to do so is insane, and simply a form of corporate welfare.

I agree that R&D is extremely important, but if countries want to subsidize drug company R&D they should do so directly instead of throwing money at them and hoping they spend it on research later.

LOL.

How can you negotiate with a country that says they will pay you X, or take your patent?

 

[ivwshane]

LOL.

How can you negotiate with a country that says they will pay you X, or take your patent?

By not allowing them to export their goods into our country, idiot! Do you even know how trade agreements work or what one is?

Lol indeed!

 

[michal1980]

By not allowing them to export their goods into our country, idiot! Do you even know how trade agreements work or what one is?

Lol indeed!

how is a company going to prevent goods from being imported into 'our' country?

And you did get the point that these countries when they say they'll pay X, or you get no patent, means that if you say no to the price, they take your patent and make the drug themselves?

http://www.economist.com/blogs/schumpeter/2013/04/drug-patents

The April ruling follows another by an Indian appeals board in March. In that case, the board upheld a decision to let Natco, a generic drugmaker, sell copies of Bayer’s patented kidney-cancer drug Nexavar. Bayer had not made the drug available to Indians at a sufficiently low price.

 

[ivwshane]

how is a company going to prevent goods from being imported into 'our' country?

And you did get the point that these countries when they say they'll pay X, or you get no patent, means that if you say no to the price, they take your patent and make the drug themselves?

Like I said, you clearly don't understand what or how trade agreements work. Thanks for confirming it,

 

[bozack]

Sounds like you're calling for a cartel, which is illegal.

Countries (and all market players) should buy drugs at the lowest price they can negotiate, the US included. That we don't allow our government to do so is insane, and simply a form of corporate welfare.

I agree that R&D is extremely important, but if countries want to subsidize drug company R&D they should do so directly instead of throwing money at them and hoping they spend it on research later.

I am saying that the companies should not play by the countries rules around haggling and instead should force higher prices on all nations to support R&D costs.

If you're upset with how our government approaches drug costs blame Obama and the Democratic leadership who had ample amounts of time to change that yet did nothing.

 

[michal1980]

Like I said, you clearly don't understand what or how trade agreements work. Thanks for confirming it,

still not getting it are you.

even when presented with a clear case where a country took a companies drug patent, it still doesnt register.

 

[Darwin333]

I so thought this was about cocaine. Do you know a kilo of cocaine costs like $300 or something in Columbia from the poor farmers who actually make the crap?

 

[ivwshane]

I am saying that the companies should not play by the countries rules around haggling and instead should force higher prices on all nations to support R&D costs.

If you're upset with how our government approaches drug costs blame Obama and the Democratic leadership who had ample amounts of time to change that yet did nothing.

Republicans didn't have even more time to change it? Republicans under bush weren't the party that barred the federal government from negotiating drug prices for Medicare? Republicans, who currently control both the house and Senate, haven't had ample time to pass legislation to address the issue?

I ask because there is a very specific reason why nothing is getting done in Washington and you appear to be ignoring that fact.

 

[Darwin333]

LOL.

How can you negotiate with a country that says they will pay you X, or take your patent?

Say fuck it, if you can't beat em then join em! Why is it always the other countries with guns to big pharmas heads saying "do this or we will fuck you". While at the same time we can't afford the meds that are available but told the price is for new and improved meds...... that we won't be able to fucking afford.

 

[Darwin333]

Republicans didn't have even more time to change it? Republicans under bush weren't the party that barred the federal government from negotiating drug prices for Medicare? Republicans, who currently control both the house and Senate, haven't had ample time to pass legislation to address the issue?

I ask because there is a very specific reason why nothing is getting done in Washington and you appear to be ignoring that fact.

I sooo don't want to get in the middle of a partisan cock fight but didn't the Democrats pass the "most sweeping healthcare bill in a generation" or something like that?

Bottom line is that it seems neither party wants to fix shit but both parties, and their sheeple, like to point fingers at the other saying "nah uh, you broke it so you fix it!". At the end of the day nothing gets fixed which in my humble opinion is exactly what they want.

 

[Sulaco]

This is a red herring. The vast majority of our drug spending is on worthless "financial feeding trough" drugs like statins which do absolutely nothing good for the body, and other similar drugs which are prescribed to cover up what are clearly bad lifestyle choices. Proper diet and exercise would be more effective treatments and would cut our medical spending by 50% or more. But doctors dont prescribe only exercise because they are paid to prescribe the "financial feeding trough" drugs.

Really? And who's paying them to prescribe those drugs?

Oh that's right, you have no idea what you're talking about.

 

[sandorski]

Americans pay more, because they are willing to pay more.

 

[ivwshane]

still not getting it are you.

even when presented with a clear case where a country took a companies drug patent, it still doesnt register.

Let's try something else: show me our current trade agreement with India. Then show me where it is that it's violating that trade agreement with regards to IP infringement.

(Hint: you can't find it)
https://www.msfaccess.org/sites/def...actsheet_TimelineUSPressureIndia_ENG_2014.pdf

Do you get it now or do I need to spell it out with pictures?

 

[ivwshane]

I sooo don't want to get in the middle of a partisan cock fight but didn't the Democrats pass the "most sweeping healthcare bill in a generation" or something like that?

Bottom line is that it seems neither party wants to fix shit but both parties, and their sheeple, like to point fingers at the other saying "nah uh, you broke it so you fix it!". At the end of the day nothing gets fixed which in my humble opinion is exactly what they want.

It's not partisan, that's the point. You will notice that I didn't try to remove blame from the Democrats. However there is zero reason why the current Republican Congress cannot fix this, Obama certainly isn't opposed to the federal government being able to negotiate. So if the poster isn't holding Republicans responsible (as well as Republican supporters like him) then how exactly does he expect this to get fixed?

 

[HamburgerBoy]

Sounds like you're calling for a cartel, which is illegal.

Countries (and all market players) should buy drugs at the lowest price they can negotiate, the US included. That we don't allow our government to do so is insane, and simply a form of corporate welfare.

I agree that R&D is extremely important, but if countries want to subsidize drug company R&D they should do so directly instead of throwing money at them and hoping they spend it on research later.

"Hoping"? All patents and other trade restrictions expire eventually. How do you propose the government directly funds R&D?

 

[bozack]

It's not partisan, that's the point. You will notice that I didn't try to remove blame from the Democrats. However there is zero reason why the current Republican Congress cannot fix this, Obama certainly isn't opposed to the federal government being able to negotiate. So if the poster isn't holding Republicans responsible (as well as Republican supporters like him) then how exactly does he expect this to get fixed?

You presume I see it as broken, as I mentioned before if anything I see drug companies trying too hard to work with other nations to accommodate their cost control measures....making the US foot the bill of much of their R&D work....instead I would rather the drug companies actually charge realistic prices to all nations which includes a healthy markup that allows them to continue funding their R&D operations into the future.

The Liberals/Democrats are typically the ones clamoring for more government control/regulation on drug costs, and as mentioned above they did pass the ACA, so they had ample opportunity to correct this yet neglected to do so....

Once again, you guys have only yourselves to blame if you're unhappy with the current situation around drug costs.

 

[michal1980]

Say fuck it, if you can't beat em then join em! Why is it always the other countries with guns to big pharmas heads saying "do this or we will fuck you". While at the same time we can't afford the meds that are available but told the price is for new and improved meds...... that we won't be able to fucking afford.

so if companies cant make a profit on selling drugs, why would they invest money in making new ones?

 

[michal1980]

Let's try something else: show me our current trade agreement with India. Then show me where it is that it's violating that trade agreement with regards to IP infringement.

(Hint: you can't find it)
https://www.msfaccess.org/sites/def...actsheet_TimelineUSPressureIndia_ENG_2014.pdf

Do you get it now or do I need to spell it out with pictures?

still want to know how a COMPANY can create a trade agreement.

Eski said companies can negotiate with countries. Where as my point is they really cannot.