sb Loc: Florida's East Coast

We had a discussion the other day about drug pricing. Yesterday I was exploring a few things and found some tidbits to share:

1) The Advair inhaler lost its patent almost a year ago - the medication combination lost its patent even before the disc inhaler mechanism did. At this point no company is stepping up to offer a generic - there is a lot of pressure to avoid this. Why?
Advair Inhaler: $377 (250/50 strength, One month's worth!)
Symbicort Inhaler: $325
Breo Inhaler: $338 (Prices from GoodRx.com - may vary from zip code to zip code)

However, in Canada companies cannot maintain their patent quite as long and generics are encouraged:
Advair 250/50 brand: $120
Advair Generic $ 60

So why are we - and Medicare going broke?

2) Viagra - AKA sildenafil:
TEN 100mg tablet: $560
TWELVE 100mg tablets in Canada: $159
SIXTEEN generics in Canada: $115

However - sildenafil was first patented to treat pulmonary hypertension ( a form of heart disease). THIS patent expired in 2012, and sildenafil IS available as a generic in the US.

You didn't KNOW that, did you??!! Very few doctors know this!

However - if your doctor prescribes Viagra or sildenafil 50mg or 100mg, it is only available as the brand name at the price shown above - over $50 per 100mg. Sildenafil 20 mg, however, IS available as a generic.

SO - if your doctor writes you a prescription for Sildenafil 20mg Take 5 tablets when needed for sexual activity, then 90 tablets (equal to 18 doses of Viagra) will only cost you - $170 from Walmart, and if you print off a CVS coupon from GoodRx.com, you can get it for $60!

So - go figure!

bull drink water Loc: pontiac mi.

it's still all about the money. the difference is that in the U.S. of A. they have the government help them keep the prices up.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

There are lots of "reasons" for these high prices. "Capitalism" "Free Enterprise" "Research" "Profit" Of course the main reasons are greed and political corruption. How can a CEO justify a salary of $20 - $40 million a year, especially when many people can't afford their products?

http://www.fiercepharma.com/special-report/top-20-highest-paid-biopharma-ceos

Robert Graybeal Loc: Myrtle Beach

A doctor told me this story:

He needed some drug (I don't know which).
$1000/mo. under his insurance.
$800/mo. if he used his mother's Medicare, she lived with him.
He called a pharmacy in Canada and purchased it for $50/mo.

Now understand this, the drug is made in America.
Sold to Canada for a profit.
The Canadian pharmacy sold it to the Dr. for a profit.
still only cost $50.

Who is being screwed over here?

suntouched Loc: Sierra Vista AZ

I just filled a prescription for 20 (250 mm) Levaquin (antibiotic)- the generic was filled and cost 399.00. I could not believe the price! Tri Care is picking up the tab but still.
My sister's monthly insurance premium under her husbands policy is 700.00 a month (which they can't afford) and so she goes uninsured and gets fined at the end of the year for no insurance. Checking the open market the premium would be 1200.00 this year for her. Of course she can't afford that. She could qualify for insurance subsidy due to their income except they are NOT eligible since her husband's job provides insurance benefits. I'm sure this same scenario is repeated across the country.
My husband just had a shoulder replacement. He spent one night in the hospital and was told to bring in his meds. He is on very expensive eyedrops for glaucoma. The hospital refused to use his drops from home and ordered the brand name of his drops while he was there (and undoubtedly thew away what was left) .
It's just craziness and as a country we had better get a grip on medical costs.

WayneT Loc: Paris, TN

On Jerry's point I'm very conservative especially when it comes to business but this is one point that I really think should be addressed. I don't think any CEO should make more than 50X's the average workers salary. In some cases it's over 500X's and that's just plain greed. It has always amazed me that the stock holders in these companies allow this.

warrior Loc: Paso Robles CA

Isn't Tri-care and Tricare for life GREAT

suntouched Loc: Sierra Vista AZ

Yes! Thank goodness we aren't one of the ones that have to decide between buying meds and paying the mortgage!

John N Loc: HP14 3QF Stokenchurch, UK

In 1973 the Conservative Prime Minister, Edward Heath, once referred to 'The Unacceptable face of Capitalism'. Little did he think that it would come to encompass almost everything we buy. Seems that way to me anyway.

sb Loc: Florida's East Coast

My biggest complaint is that it is not possible for consumers of health care to be informed consumers faced with reasonable competition - at least in our country. Those who argue for a "free market" fix of our system do not understand that there is no free market. If your physician is at the hospital clinic and sends you to the hospital imaging center you get a CT scan with a price tag of $3,000. That CT san is no different than the CT scan the imaging center down the street offers for $300. And even the physicians have no idea that they are an accomplice to this terrible system - I asked at a Family Practice meeting one time if any of our FPs knew what our hospital charged uninsured patients for a simple EKG. In our offices we get paid about $30 for this procedure. None of the docs had any idea that the hospital charged $335!

John N Loc: HP14 3QF Stokenchurch, UK

I fear the same is happening here SB, as successive Governments have sold out the National part of our National Health Service. It's not what it was despite the considerable efforts made by the front line staff.

Nosaj Loc: Sarasota, Florida

Thanks for posting your comments on this topic.
One of the main reason why prices are so high in the U.S., is that under current law governing federal administration of Medicare, the federal drug administrators ARE NOT ALLOWED (BY LAW) at all to negotiate prices with the pharmaceutical companies. This part of the law is outrageous and represents economic terrorism against Americans who need access to medication. Advair is a good example. Here's a chilling fact: you can go into a Costco in Cabo St Lucas, Mexico, and pickup Advair disks Over-The-Counter with no prescription for about $35-40 (US) !! It will be the exact same Advair as gouged in the US, but with non-English writing on the package. If you bring it back to the U.S., the U.S. customs inspector will confiscate it if they see it in your baggage and possibly treat you like a terrorist or subversive. "Being ripped off" is an understatement. We're being extorted as well.

boberic Loc: Quiet Corner, Connecticut. Ex long Islander

With regard to CEO salaries--You gotta ask 1 question- Whats anything worth? Answer--what someone is willing to pay. Why is a house on the beach worth 1 million when a house across the street is worth 1/2 that.? same answer. We just sold a painting form an artist from the late 1600's for $3,100. A rembrandant done at the same time woukld go for $30 million. :Yes it's not fair that the CEO makes X while an average worker makes Y. But who is to set the prices. I don't want to have the government make those kinds of decisions. The thing is that average workers are easy to find while good CEO's are rare. For a while I was an independant contractor. If I didn't perform I didn't eat. I believe that a CEO"s income should be based, in part, on the profitability of the company. Why is Tom Brady worth 30 million a year> becuse managment thinks he's worth it. Nobody ever said that life is fair.

Cykdelic Loc: Now outside of Chiraq & Santa Fe, NM

What is tri care?

philo Loc: philo, ca

To me the biggest rip off is being a board member. I will sit on your board and you pay me 20k per year and you can sit on my board and we will pay you 20k per year. Some people ie Bill Clinton sits on a number of boards, do nothing except have their name on the annual report and make money for dong nothing.