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Why a Pill That's 4 Cents in Tanzania Costs Up to $400 in the U.S

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Re: Why a Pill That's 4 Cents in Tanzania Costs Up to $400 in the U.S

#11

Post by notyourday »

ztjio wrote: post #8
notyourday wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm baffled by the snark. Could someone please attempt to reconcile the following positions for me: 1. We need regulation of drugs/medicine/etc because we do not want some snake oil peddlers peddling arsenic as medicine? 2. Regulations prevent us from getting shit cheap! Baaaaa!

FDA is given power to do a necessary job: keep us from eating poison instead of medicine, or whatever. But the same power is abused to prevent competition by "suggestion" of the industry that provides these medicines. It's hardly a complicated situation.

Exactly: it is a very simple situation - we collectively as the society decided that we do not want garbage peddled as medicine. FDA established how we determine "not garbage". Full stop.

Re: Why a Pill That's 4 Cents in Tanzania Costs Up to $400 in the U.S

#12

Post by gaius »

empath75 wrote: post #4

The answer is that our insurance and medical billing system is a complete tirefire and needs to be burned to the ground and replaced with something sane.

If the pill retailed for $0.04 in the US could the R&D be recouped?

Americans should feel good about high drug prices: that's your aid to the Third World right there. Not the most efficient technique but still better than not doing it at all.

Re: Why a Pill That's 4 Cents in Tanzania Costs Up to $400 in the U.S

#13

Post by jsjohnst »

notyourday wrote: post #5
nasmorn wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think the FDA will fight to your death for your right to safe medicine.

I'm baffled by the snark. Could someone please attempt to reconcile the following positions for me: 1. We need regulation of drugs/medicine/etc because we do not want some snake oil peddlers peddling arsenic as medicine? 2. Regulations prevent us from getting shit cheap! Baaaaa!

I think you are jumping to a conclusion without having enough supporting evidence.

Regulation on drugs didn’t suddenly get 8,000x more expensive for drug companies in the last few years.

An alternative theory, which I can’t prove any more than you can prove yours, is that due to some pharmaceutical companies realizing they were leaving serious money on the table, they tried hiking prices. Once they realized there would be little repercussions, all jumped in and we have a new industry norm.

Re: Why a Pill That's 4 Cents in Tanzania Costs Up to $400 in the U.S

#14

Post by notyourday »

notyourday wrote: post #11
ztjio wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

FDA is given power to do a necessary job: keep us from eating poison instead of medicine, or whatever. But the same power is abused to prevent competition by "suggestion" of the industry that provides these medicines. It's hardly a complicated situation.

Exactly: it is a very simple situation - we collectively as the society decided that we do not want garbage peddled as medicine. FDA established how we determine "not garbage". Full stop.

Edit: yes, based on our current position Export from US->Other Country->Import to US for medicine violates "Not Garbage" state. It is no different than importing USB chargers that sell in China for $1.02. We do not want the vast majority of the population engaging in this though those who know how to are allowed to do it themselves.

Re: Why a Pill That's 4 Cents in Tanzania Costs Up to $400 in the U.S

#15

Post by harryh »

gaius wrote: post #12
empath75 wrote: post #4

The answer is that our insurance and medical billing system is a complete tirefire and needs to be burned to the ground and replaced with something sane.

If the pill retailed for $0.04 in the US could the R&D be recouped? Americans should feel good about high drug prices: that's your aid to the Third World right there. Not the most efficient technique but still better than not doing it at all.

While in general I agree with you that is not the case here. The drug's patent expired decades ago. The issue is that there is only 1 US manufacturer giving them pricing power.

It's unclear to me why another drug manufacturer doesn't come in and undercut the price. This is what happens in most other industries. My gut suspects the arduous FDA approval process, but I have no real evidence for this hypothesis.

Re: Why a Pill That's 4 Cents in Tanzania Costs Up to $400 in the U.S

#16

Post by gizmo »

gaius wrote: post #12
empath75 wrote: post #4

The answer is that our insurance and medical billing system is a complete tirefire and needs to be burned to the ground and replaced with something sane.

If the pill retailed for $0.04 in the US could the R&D be recouped? Americans should feel good about high drug prices: that's your aid to the Third World right there. Not the most efficient technique but still better than not doing it at all.

Albendazole was developed in 1975. The R&D cost has been recouped ages ago.

Re: Why a Pill That's 4 Cents in Tanzania Costs Up to $400 in the U.S

#17

Post by harryh »

acdha wrote: post #6
remy_luisant wrote: post #2

Stupid question from an idiot from communist Canada: Can't you just import the bloody pills from somewhere that isn't the USA?

People do but there’s an entire industry devoted to lobbying against competition.

The issue is that there is no real competition for drug pricing in Canada due to the fact that the Canadian government imposes price controls. You are, of course, free to argue that this is a better way of doing things. But it's not "competition."

Re: Why a Pill That's 4 Cents in Tanzania Costs Up to $400 in the U.S

#18

Post by snarf21 »

empath75 wrote: post #4

The answer is that our insurance and medical billing system is a complete tirefire and needs to be burned to the ground and replaced with something sane.

Yes, this is true. There are other things that would change too. We could have these (or other) pills for pennies. However, we can't have a 24 hour drive through pharmacy on every other corner and an Urgent Care on the other AND pills for pennies. Yes, the companies are making tons but a lot of that money pays for people to make it convenient for you to get your pills. And as someone else commented, we are basically subsidizing the pharmaceuticals for the rest of the world. (But before you get too upset about that remember we also get slave labor in China to build our iPhones and TVs that now cost comparatively nothing compared to if they were made here.)

Re: Why a Pill That's 4 Cents in Tanzania Costs Up to $400 in the U.S

#19

Post by Gracana »

gaius wrote: post #12
empath75 wrote: post #4

The answer is that our insurance and medical billing system is a complete tirefire and needs to be burned to the ground and replaced with something sane.

If the pill retailed for $0.04 in the US could the R&D be recouped? Americans should feel good about high drug prices: that's your aid to the Third World right there. Not the most efficient technique but still better than not doing it at all.

You're not really helping anyone if you die because you can't afford medicine.

Re: Why a Pill That's 4 Cents in Tanzania Costs Up to $400 in the U.S

#20

Post by ashelmire »

notyourday wrote: post #5
nasmorn wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think the FDA will fight to your death for your right to safe medicine.

I'm baffled by the snark. Could someone please attempt to reconcile the following positions for me: 1. We need regulation of drugs/medicine/etc because we do not want some snake oil peddlers peddling arsenic as medicine? 2. Regulations prevent us from getting shit cheap! Baaaaa!

Presumably, other first world nations also regulate drugs. Are the drugs as expensive in those nations? If not, why not?
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