Americans, especially seniors, are taking more prescription medications than ever. And thanks to FDA guidelines, U.S. pharmaceutical companies are cashing in by hiking prices.
The most recent unexplained pharmaceutical price hike to garner national media attention is that of EpiPen, the injectors that can save the lives of Americans suffering severe allergic reactions. The drug delivery system, once available in a pack of two for $100, has skyrocketed to a price of $600.
And here’s the rub. The true cost of the most common dosage of the life-saving hormone epinephrine delivered by EpiPen is only about $2.
Mylan, the company that makes the EpiPen also quietly jacked up the price of several other medications.
“Mylan has raised the prices more than 20 percent on 24 products, and more than 100 percent on seven products,” Wells Fargo senior analyst David Maris wrote in a report in June.
Why? Because they can.
But before you blame the free market for runaway drug costs, you must consider the vast amount of cronyism at play here.
Back in 2009, health experts Doug Henderson and Dr.Gary Null explained the massive revolving door that is our modern medical system, writing:
When we speak of the pharmaceutical industry complex, we are not referring solely to private drug manufacturers. The complex, like a Matrix that holds captive the health of the nation in medical slavery by its own design and manipulation, is a consortium, a spider’s web woven with financial attachments throughout the medical profession. In addition to the pharmaceutical and medical device firms, this complex includes every government health agency—the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and or course the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)—as well as drug lobbying firms now employing a large number of former Congresspersons, insurance and HMO companies, all of the leading professional medical associations [such as the American Medical Association (AMA) and the American Psychiatric Association (APA)], the majority of medical schools and their research departments, which are heavily funded by drug money, many of the most prestigious medical journals and ultimately all of this filtering downward to the physicians who diagnose our illnesses and prescribe our medications and treatments.
The closed system makes sure that Americans are prescribed bundles of drugs by their doctors and then limited to a handful of sources for the drugs. The government/pharmaceutical community claims this is a matter of patient safety.
In reality, it’s an exercise in corporate cronyism.
For example, there are companies here in the U.S. that would love to develop an EpiPen alternative. The problem is that start-ups looking to provide a cheaper alternative are priced out of the market by FDA regulations that require millions of dollars for government approval.
Now, the best thing you can do for your body is to research natural ways to stay healthy and cut the number of prescription drugs you take regularly as much as possible.
But even with the most rigorous natural health regimens, there’s no doubt that some conditions— such as a life-threatening allergic reaction— are best treated with modern medicines.
Unfortunately, the corporate cronyism in the medical community is making it hard for many Americans to afford some of those life-saving medications. In fact, a 2014 survey found that 35 million Americans didn’t have a prescription filled because they couldn’t afford it.
That’s why 76 percent of Americans support legal changes that would free them up to search for prescription alternatives from cheaper sources outside the country.
Writing for The Hill, ConsumerLab president Tod Cooperman and Prescription Justice Action Group founder Lee Graczyk say it’s time Congress listened up:
Americans spend more on prescription drugs than any other nation. For many, these include maintenance medications for chronic conditions, such as Januvia for diabetes, Advair Diskus for COPD and Abilify for people battling depression. For others, they need essential and life-saving medications for anything from cancer to heart disease. Congress has been talking a lot about solutions but people need immediate relief. The opportunity to access lower prices through safe and reliable channels is one that must not be hindered by borders or corporate interests.
There are players — like in any industry — that aim to take advantage of consumers through counterfeit and other rogue measures. The Internet, however, provides consumers access to information to ensure the safety and security of online purchases.
For instance, critical guidelines to follow when purchasing medications from online pharmacies are readily available, such as only trust those pharmacies that require a prescription, publish verifiable contact information and protect personal and financial information. While this research takes some effort, companies like PharmacyChecker.com provide consumers with independent verifications of online pharmacies.
The bottom line is that consumers deserve a choice when it comes to where to buy their medications and should enjoy the competition and transparency that exists in other industries. If medicine can be found from another country that’s just as safe as what is sold here, it should be a viable option.
With U.S. drug companies raking in billions each year with the help of the crony status quo, the fight for these changes is obviously an uphill battle.
For now, the best course of action for American patients is a two-part process.
First, don’t be put-off of alternative health remedies by mainstream medicine’s cynical attitudes toward your ability to take health matters into your own hands.
Simple changes can protect your body from all kinds of diseases.
The prescriptions your doctor provides are normally only intended to mask the symptoms of health problems that might’ve been prevented.
Next, if you do find that you need a prescription medication to control certain symptoms, Cooperman and Graczyk note that “the FDA has never prosecuted anyone for importing drugs for personal use.”
So, at your own risk, research online pharmacies for your prescription drug needs. Use tools like RxRights.org for more information.
You can also ask your legislators to put up or shut up (they all love to talk about affordable healthcare) and support legislative changes that would remove any legal risk from using online pharmacies outside the U.S.
The post Beat Big Pharma with a little research appeared first on Personal Liberty®.
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