The Crazy Price of US Pharmacuticals
 

For $US20, a group of high school students has created 3.7 grams of an active ingredient used in the medicine Daraprim, which would sell in the United States for between $US35,000 and $US110,000.
Pyrimethamine, the active ingredient in Daraprim, treats a parasitic infection in people with weak immune systems such as pregnant women and HIV patients.

In August 2015, the price of Daraprim in the US rose from $US13.50 per tablet to $US750 when Turing Pharmaceuticals, and its controversial then-chief executive Martin Shkreli, acquired the drug's exclusive rights and hiked up the price.

Turing Pharmaceuticals continue to sell the only FDA-approved form of the drug in the US, and last year, said federal and state health schemes answered questions of access and affordability.

In most countries, including Australia, Daraprim is sold for between $1 to $2 per pill.

A second US-based company, Imprimis Pharmaceuticals, made an alternative compound to Daraprim ? sold for US$1 a dose ? but the drug is not FDA-approved.

From other news sites:

Big Pharm owns our politicians. Don't expect it to change anytime soon! You notice how a free market doesn't apply to them. There's no bargaining to get cheaper prices for government run programs nor can you buy out of country

An example of this from my life.

I have asthma. I was diagnosed when I was 8-years-old in 1979. The first inhaler I was prescribed was Proventil which is still on the market. In all those years, there have only been a few years where generics are available because they manage to keep renewing their 10 years of exclusivity.

So, in a normal month, I will use a 30 day supply of the medicine I take twice a day every day and I will use about 1.5 inhalers (so I have to buy two). If I bought those from a pharmacy and paid cash the inhalers would be about $65 each and the other medication is about $350 for 30 days. So about $480 per month. I can buy the exact same medicine from the exact same manufacturer from an overseas pharmacy for about $90.

Luckily, I have insurance so I only have a co-pay and can get the medicine easily. However, before Obamacare I had to pay cash for medication so I ordered it online because it was so much cheaper.

Big pharm has bought and paid for our elected leaders which likely means the prices of their drugs won't drop any time soon which means pretty much any healthcare plan short of revamping the entire thing is likely doomed to faile.

big pharmas do more damage than illegal drug dealers obviously :)

Ah US healthcare LOL don't even get me started...

I watched a documentary on the opioid addiction problem in this country. There are over 200 million prescriptions for opioid painkillers written in this country every year. They don't care about the addiction and the overdoses they are cashing in. It's no wonder Big Pharm are almost always the #1 group fighting to oppose the legalization of pot.

Viagra is $50/pill with prescription. I thought the person was kidding and he showed me. Totally insane.

50mg Viagra is $10/pill in Malaysia. That's the real Pfizer stuff. And no prescription needed.

.5mg of Xanax is 60 cents a pill here. Again - not an Indian knock-off. The real deal. For Xanax you do need a prescription.

The government is and always has been the real enemy.

Don't you just love those billionaires making sure the government looks after you. :Oh crap

50$/ pill for Viagra LOL it's about 1$ here with home delivery if you buy 20...but Xanax is hard to get without prescription it's considered druggie shit...

It is important that we resist the USA in any way possible and keep our countries free from American shit...

Why dont you tell us about your health care cost Paul ?

I would imagine they are quite reasonable given that you are a migrant in a low cost country.

:thumbsup

I even get my prescriptions for free.

Over the 50 years of working and 35 of employing people and paying the employer's share of Employees Health Insurance. Plus high wages I earned. Must be well in the 6 figures.

Good thing is I can get an appointment to see my GP today, hospital appointment takes a bit longer. As long as a day.

How does that compare to the UK where they spend so much?

If you need dental work, fly here and save money by going private.