https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/national-international/Opioid-Epidemic-Cities-Strain-to-Afford-Narcan-479542103.html
According to the article: "A two-dose carton of Narcan — a brand name for naloxone inhalers — has list prices of about $125. First responders and community organizations can purchase Narcan at discounts of $75 per two-dose carton, according to manufacturer Adapt Pharma. The Evzio auto-injector from Virginia-based drugmaker Kaleo currently has list prices of roughly $3,800 for a box with two doses, up from about $690 in 2014."
While there is a clear medical aid to help with overdosing, the rising prices with prescription drugs are creating a barrier for local communities and governments, who do the brunt of the work, to afford these drugs. While there are discounts available to government agencies, should there be more "financial aid" available to everyday people? Especially since the Department of Health/Surgeon General has recommended that more people carry naloxone with them.
Do you think state and federal governments need to put pressure on big pharma companies to help solve the opioid epidemic? What are your opinions on the subject of rising drug costs?
So big pharma is making a lot of money on the drug that is causing these increased overdoses with fentenol but also the product that can save people from ODing? Not only that they seem to be overcharging for it? Seems a little messed up. What is the point of advancing medicine if no one who needs it can afford it?
ReplyDeleteReally agree with that last part. I wonder how this relates to the issues/arguments we have had with our healthcare industry in the past couple years.
DeleteI think Brett raises an interesting point in how head-scratching it is that big pharma is capitalizing on both the selling of Fentanyl and Naloxone. It reminds me of a discussion I had in my Principles of Marketing class about the high-cost of epi-pens. I think for a two pack of the Mylan EpiPen, it costs roughly $600. The price in itself is ridiculous but when you consider that it costs the company only $1.50 to produce the medicine, it makes you even more upset.
DeleteAll of which seems is just for the benefit of capital gains. Very sad.
DeleteBig pharma, in my eyes, functions first as a business trying to inflate their bottomline. While they do create life saving drugs, at the end of the day, the people at the top want to increase their revenue. I wonder what a state funded manufacturer of similar drugs might look like.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Tyler on the stance about big Pharma being a business first operation. Seems like that is everyone in todays world. I would also be curious to see a state funded manufacturer. It is sad how solutions and medicine exist but because of financial restrictions, access isn't 100% available to everyone. If people are advocating for everyone to carry around the 'opioid epipen' companies could still profit without incredibly over charging the public.
DeleteI also agree with this notion about big pharma. I really think that for these people capital gains comes before morality. Not only big pharma, but insurance companies are in on it as well. They do not cover a lot of these different medications, leaving the lower class untreated.
DeleteI wonder as the drug gets more common will the price begin to come down? Either way, it is unfortunate that these life saving drugs are being used as profit maximizing tools. As Ansh mentioned, much of the medical industry is more for profit maximization than advancing medicine for all.
ReplyDeleteThis is really unfortunate and sad to see that profit seems to always matter more than human life. An I really feel that the state and federal government need to step in to try and push big pharma companies to help communities with the most need, instead of allowing them to fill their pockets and benefit on both sides of this crisis.
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