Why are drugs so expensive in the US?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Research and development costs are huge. We have to pay for innovation.

If you stick to old drugs off patent, they are cheap.

That does not explain why Americans pay a different price from Germans or French. They buy the same drugs from the same companies.

The German and the French healthcare systems have negotiated prices with drug companies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Research and development costs are huge. We have to pay for innovation.

If you stick to old drugs off patent, they are cheap.

Fake News. American drug companies spend far more in marketing then they do in R&D. Next PhRMA argument?

Then don't take the drugs. No one forces them upon you. Stick to the $2 list. It works for many things.

But not enough things.

The fact is that we get screwed because the Pharmacy Benefit Management companies get kickbacks from the drug makers. So they don't negotiate the best prices. One has a monopoly on the drug, and the other pretty much has a monopoly over the patient.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Research and development costs are huge. We have to pay for innovation.

If you stick to old drugs off patent, they are cheap.

That does not explain why Americans pay a different price from Germans or French. They buy the same drugs from the same companies.

The German and the French healthcare systems have negotiated prices with drug companies.

Negotiating.....isn't that part of a "free market"? I get so confused by these details.

[Anonymous]

because big corporations and politicians are greedy, and a lot of Americans (usually Rs) would rather be suckers and pay up the nose than demand government interference in capping drug prices. The appearance of "Free market" (which is totally BS in this country given how many corporate subsidies we have) is more important than having life saving drugs be affordable. This should tell you where these people's priorities lie.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Research and development costs are huge. We have to pay for innovation.

If you stick to old drugs off patent, they are cheap.

LIES. Pharma spends 2x as much on marketing as R&D. Plus, their R&D is tax deductible, their "R&D" often relies on "free" research generated from government grants.

It's just greedy assholes buying politicians in search of endless risk-free profits. That's it.

+1000
More on marketing AND LOBBYING than they do on R&D. The latter part of this is a big part of the problem.

[Anonymous]

Supply and demand. If Americans stopped getting so sick, overweight and unhealthy, and looked to more natural non-medicated ways to treat their health issues (like healthy diet and exercise), then fewer Americans would demand meds, and the price would go down as supplies built up.

But Americans are heavily reliant on their meds for many chronic health problems like diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, and ADHD. Even though they could find other remedies, they'd rather just pop pills.

[Anonymous]

You pay more for drugs for the same reason your southern border is an open sewer for illegals to cross: mainstream politicians are on the take from special interests.

Only a strong outsider like Trump has a chance.

Let's support him!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
You pay more for drugs for the same reason your southern border is an open sewer for illegals to cross: mainstream politicians are on the take from special interests.

Only a strong outsider like Trump has a chance.

Let's support him!

Da! America is glorious country.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

You pay more for drugs for the same reason your southern border is an open sewer for illegals to cross: mainstream politicians are on the take from special interests.

Only a strong outsider like Trump has a chance.

Let's support him!

Yes, Stalin will deliver us!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Research and development costs are huge. We have to pay for innovation.

If you stick to old drugs off patent, they are cheap.

That does not explain why Americans pay a different price from Germans or French. They buy the same drugs from the same companies.

The German and the French healthcare systems have negotiated prices with drug companies.

Negotiating.....isn't that part of a "free market"? I get so confused by these details.

We don't have a free market for drugs in America. It is full of collusion. A handful of PBMs control more than half of all drug sales. They get kickbacks from the manufacturers.

[Anonymous]

Why? Because of Republicans such as..well all of them and Democrats like Cory Booker.

Congress is in their payroll and nothing can be done about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why? Because of Republicans such as..well all of them and Democrats like Cory Booker.

Congress is in their payroll and nothing can be done about it.

Anyone elected in NJ has to bow to the kings of big pharma. They are a massive employer in NJ and a big donor in state politics.

[Anonymous]

agreed, blow is up to $100 a gram - and that's not for the extra good stuff either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
You pay more for drugs for the same reason your southern border is an open sewer for illegals to cross: mainstream politicians are on the take from special interests.

Only a strong outsider like Trump has a chance.

Let's support him!

ha..ha ha..

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/1/31/14453740/trump-medicare-prescription-drugs

Today, after a meeting with pharmaceutical industry lobbyists and executives, he [trump] abandoned that pledge [lower drug prices], referring to an idea he supported as recently as three weeks ago as a form of “price fixing” that would hurt “smaller, younger companies.” Instead of getting tough, Trump’s new plan is that he’s “going to be lowering taxes” and “getting rid of regulations.”

[Anonymous]

Because capitalism. Supply and demand. They can charge what people will pay for it.