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As opioid overdoses exact a higher price, communities ponder who should be saved

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Re: As opioid overdoses exact a higher price, communities ponder who should be saved

#11

Post by nimish »

tcj_phx wrote: post #2

(this article can be read by searching for the title on http://twitter.com/ , then opening the link in a private window) > Two doses of an injectable form of naloxone, Evzio, cost $4,500, up from $690 in 2014. The price of other forms of the drug, including the nasally administered Narcan, typically range from $70 to $150 per dose, officials say. The cost of naloxone [1] is an insignificant part of the cost of revivi…

If you totally discount the good manufacturing practices and traceability that pharmaceuticals have to follow, sure you can hack together a cheap substitute that might not work when the chips are down

Except for biologics, many drugs are not that expensive to manufacture. The cost is in proving they will do what they say they do on the package.

Re: As opioid overdoses exact a higher price, communities ponder who should be saved

#12

Post by creaghpatr »

ivanbakel wrote: post #4

How can it be acceptable that you would declare people too expensive to save, rather than challenge the prices of a profit-making company that is bringing those costs in the first place? Shouldn't you be able to detect the sheer amount of corporate worship in such a statement before it leaves your mouth? It breaks my heart to keep reading about this epidemic, with such a consistent reaction of hatred from so many peo…

This is what happens in the UK right now. The government decides when the life support machine gets turned off- they pay for it so it's their choice.

Not a common or planned outcome, but an unfortunate byproduct of nationalized healthcare.

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-40423371

Re: As opioid overdoses exact a higher price, communities ponder who should be saved

#13

Post by TomMarius »

robk wrote: post #6

Why is the price increasing as volume has gone up? Is it FDA-type regulation that's preventing new market entrants or patents? Or something else artificially preventing new market entry like legal risk?

Not sure why you differentiate, patents are regulations too.

Re: As opioid overdoses exact a higher price, communities ponder who should be saved

#14

Post by darpa_escapee »

Threaten to nationalize manufacturing of Naloxone, then do it if prices aren't brought down.

If there's an epidemic and private manufacturers can't respond to the demand without raising prices by a factor of 10, something needs to be done.

Annual overdose deaths have doubled over the last ten years. To bring a certain brand of hyperbole to the table, 2016 saw a loss of life equivalent to about thirty times that of 9/11.

Some see that as national crisis, others see it as an opportunity to gouge our people, towns and country.

Re: As opioid overdoses exact a higher price, communities ponder who should be saved

#15

Post by extra88 »

creaghpatr wrote: post #12
ivanbakel wrote: post #4

How can it be acceptable that you would declare people too expensive to save, rather than challenge the prices of a profit-making company that is bringing those costs in the first place? Shouldn't you be able to detect the sheer amount of corporate worship in such a statement before it leaves your mouth? It breaks my heart to keep reading about this epidemic, with such a consistent reaction of hatred from so many peo…

This is what happens in the UK right now. The government decides when the life support machine gets turned off- they pay for it so it's their choice. Not a common or planned outcome, but an unfortunate byproduct of nationalized healthcare. http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-40423371

Not really comparable, that's a rare situation with no chance of recovery.

Re: As opioid overdoses exact a higher price, communities ponder who should be saved

#16

Post by maxerickson »

nimish wrote: post #11
tcj_phx wrote: post #2

(this article can be read by searching for the title on http://twitter.com/ , then opening the link in a private window) > Two doses of an injectable form of naloxone, Evzio, cost $4,500, up from $690 in 2014. The price of other forms of the drug, including the nasally administered Narcan, typically range from $70 to $150 per dose, officials say. The cost of naloxone [1] is an insignificant part of the cost of revivi…

If you totally discount the good manufacturing practices and traceability that pharmaceuticals have to follow, sure you can hack together a cheap substitute that might not work when the chips are down Except for biologics, many drugs are not that expensive to manufacture. The cost is in proving they will do what they say they do on the package.

It's clear enough that the manufacturer is enjoying their market position rather than having their costs spiral out of control as demand increases.

Re: As opioid overdoses exact a higher price, communities ponder who should be saved

#17

Post by maxerickson »

ivanbakel wrote: post #4

How can it be acceptable that you would declare people too expensive to save, rather than challenge the prices of a profit-making company that is bringing those costs in the first place? Shouldn't you be able to detect the sheer amount of corporate worship in such a statement before it leaves your mouth? It breaks my heart to keep reading about this epidemic, with such a consistent reaction of hatred from so many peo…

Resources are finite.

For a less dire example, when people stop making progress in physical therapy, insurance stops paying for it. Not because there is no chance they will benefit from further therapy, but to control costs.

Re: As opioid overdoses exact a higher price, communities ponder who should be saved

#18

Post by Alex3917 »

ivanbakel wrote: post #4

How can it be acceptable that you would declare people too expensive to save, rather than challenge the prices of a profit-making company that is bringing those costs in the first place? Shouldn't you be able to detect the sheer amount of corporate worship in such a statement before it leaves your mouth? It breaks my heart to keep reading about this epidemic, with such a consistent reaction of hatred from so many peo…

Naloxone is already generic and basically free, government officials just like buying the branded version so they can get kickbacks while complaining about the cost.

Re: As opioid overdoses exact a higher price, communities ponder who should be saved

#19

Post by songshu »

creaghpatr wrote: post #12
ivanbakel wrote: post #4

How can it be acceptable that you would declare people too expensive to save, rather than challenge the prices of a profit-making company that is bringing those costs in the first place? Shouldn't you be able to detect the sheer amount of corporate worship in such a statement before it leaves your mouth? It breaks my heart to keep reading about this epidemic, with such a consistent reaction of hatred from so many peo…

This is what happens in the UK right now. The government decides when the life support machine gets turned off- they pay for it so it's their choice. Not a common or planned outcome, but an unfortunate byproduct of nationalized healthcare. http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-40423371

Commercial private medicine and commercial private medical insurance are legal in the UK and do exist although the markets are fairly small. If anything private medicine is less regulated in the UK than it is in the US (for example it's easier to call a doctor and get a price list, on enroll at any time in a plan). The legal basis of not allowing Charlie Gard's parents to take him to the US is not related to the existence of nationalized healthcare.

Re: As opioid overdoses exact a higher price, communities ponder who should be saved

#20

Post by ivanbakel »

creaghpatr wrote: post #12
ivanbakel wrote: post #4

How can it be acceptable that you would declare people too expensive to save, rather than challenge the prices of a profit-making company that is bringing those costs in the first place? Shouldn't you be able to detect the sheer amount of corporate worship in such a statement before it leaves your mouth? It breaks my heart to keep reading about this epidemic, with such a consistent reaction of hatred from so many peo…

This is what happens in the UK right now. The government decides when the life support machine gets turned off- they pay for it so it's their choice. Not a common or planned outcome, but an unfortunate byproduct of nationalized healthcare. http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-40423371

The Charlie case is not comparable - the question discussed by the court is not whether it should pay to keep him alive, but whether it's ethical to, given that he's constantly incurring brain damage and few people in the medical community believe he has any chance of survival at all. The justification used is that of "continued suffering", not cost.
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