ellen duvall

Because (like gasoline) they can charge whatever they
wish and you WILL pay it. If everyone would stop buying
gasoline (and I do mean EVERYONE) the prices would drop.

We (Americans) rarely dispute prices. We just go along
with the crowd and "over-pay" then get excited when
we save a few bucks at Walmart!

Ellen

Cell phones, gasoline and pharmacy drugs are too expensive!

steven j sobol

One *big* reason landline providers can charge less is that they're using
facilities that are decades old. Sure, they've made some updates for DSL,
etc., but...

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gregory poon

A major difference with drugs is that if there were no profit, there would
hardly be any new drugs. Most of today's drug research is being done by
pharmaceutical companies, not in academia, and there would be hardly as much
progress as we have seen if the promise of profit weren't there for the
companies. Many people seem to have the idea that drug companies should be
somehow "altruistic" and somehow different from your other "capitalistic
pigs" -- telecom, entertainment, financial, etc. etc. companies. New drugs
don't just magically grow on trees. It takes a lot of investment, a lot of
people, a huge amount effort ... so it shouldn't be surprising that there
should be an expectation of a substantial return.

Having said this, the affordability of drugs on the part of (especially
uninsured) payors is an important health and social issue, something that
governments of course are now facing. But it's also important to realize
that, no, drugs aren't burgers (or cell phones, or gasoline) and they
shouldn't be treated as such.

--
Gregory M. K. Poon, Ph.D., R.Ph., B.Sc.Phm.
Departments of Pharmaceutical Sciences & Chemical Engineering and Applied
Chemistry
University of Toronto

the real bev

Drugs have more "monopoly" characteristics than the other products you
mention. Perhaps there is only ONE drug that will work for you, which
means that you can either buy it or die (or be really really sick). A
bit more critical than choosing whether or not to sign up for the only
cable company in town or bank at the only bank in town. We expect that
monopolies will be controlled in some way, given our history a not
unreasonable expectation, especially when the monopoly in question holds
the power of life and death over some part of the population.

We find the prices charged especially annoying when groups with buying
power can arrange significant discounts while we, the uninsured, are
expected to pay the full price -- or at least the price that we can
haggle the pharmacy down to.

Indeed, especially since the drug companies apparently spend more on
advertising than research. (Or so I've heard; true?)

--
Cheers,
Bev
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It is just a bicycle. It is not dedication and bugs
in your teeth and dust and rain and mud. It is not
madness and harmony and glory and rhythm. It is not
muscle and flesh and sweat and lycra and wind.
It is just a bicycle. -- Bianchi
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rod speed

To some extent, but you overstate it.


That is rare with modern drugs.


And that is even rarer.


They are. The drug patents expire.


Thats radically overstating it.


Nope. Tho they do spend a lot on advertising.

mike

the prob is we are subsidizing the whole world. raise the price to mexico
and canada a bit, and drop our a bit.

pumbaa

Most pharmaceuticals are NOT radical improvements over existing drugs. It
takes a lot of advertising to switch a doctor from using a drug he is
familiar with and has had good results with to one she has never heard of. A
trend is to do research overseas where medical care is cheaper. Then
license the product to be sold in the USA for the high prices that the
American market will bear.

Even a company making a lot of money does not guarantee it will be a leader
in research. In hybrid car technology (which actually works and is
available now for use) the only available hybrid cars are from the Japanese
companies, Honda and Toyota. Does America have the highest priced cars in
the world also?

bob g.

=============
The problem is that the Manufactuyrers can not raise the prices in
Canada because the Canadain Goverment has SET the Max price...
that they can charge for their PRODUCT....

To maintain the "bottom line" ..and there is absolutley nothing wrong
with making a profit... the manufactures are forced to raise prices
in those countries that do not set prices...Like the USA.

What pisses me is that we have State Goverments in this country that
are seriously looking at requiring their States to purchase drugs from
Canada... When the Federal Goverment sits on its ass....

Bob Griffiths

gregory poon

That being said, I should point out that many brand name drugs are in fact
more expensive in Canada than they are in the US. The big advantage in
Canada (in terms of economics) is the widespread use of generic drugs. This
makes a huge difference in overall costs.

--
Gregory M. K. Poon, Ph.D., R.Ph., B.Sc.Phm.
Departments of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Chemical Engineering
University of Toronto

bob g.

..


I only work the counter one evening a week (Semi Retired) BUT the
98 percent of the Brand Name drugs do not have generics...

Generics are sure cheaper...BUT pricing them can be a problem because
"normal" mark up margins do not usually work...

Who knows the answer... I sure do not...

Bob Griffiths