# High Cost of Prescription Drugs



## Don M. (Nov 3, 2014)

Like most things in our current Health Care System, we pay twice as much for prescription drugs as most people in other nations pay.  It doesn't take much imagination to figure out why....basically, it comes down to three reasons.  

First, when watching TV, it seems that half of the commercials are for prescription drugs.  These commercials cost the drug companies hundreds of millions of dollars per year....the cost of which is passed along to the people who take these drugs.

Second, it seems that after a few years, the side effects of these drugs kick in, and start causing more problems than the issue they are supposed to cure...and even deaths.  At this point, the lawyers get involved with their multi-million dollar Class Action lawsuits, and the drug companies have to pay out many millions to cover these lawsuits.  In order to do so, they pad the price of their drugs, so as to create the funding necessary to support the lawsuits they know will be coming.  So, the person taking these drugs pays for advertising, and the lawsuits...up front.

Third, there are thousands of doctors who get kickbacks and perks from the drug companies based upon the number of prescriptions they write.  Once again, the patient gets to pay for these "perks".  This problem is becoming so commonplace that the web-site Propublica.org has had an ongoing project for the past few years to track the doctors who are prescribing excessive amounts of drugs.

So....the next time you see the price of a drug your doctor prescribes, think about how much the drug is really worth, vs., the extras our semi corrupted system adds to the overall costs.


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## Bettyann (Nov 3, 2014)

Well said, Don. Big Pharma is big business...its not in the 'health' business... 
Even YEARS ago...I had a cousin who was a pharmacist and the whole business bothered him because he said already back in the 50's it was so corrupt and it bothered him to charge people what 'they' said he had to charge. 
At least pharmacists keep better check on the meds they prescribe and often catch when two don't mix...and will tell you to inform your dr about it. 
I have morning anxiety and depression in the mornings but I refuse to take Rx meds for it and alternative helps me quite a bit... you should see the Forum I belong to ...each person lists all the drugs they are taking and its enough to make you GASP!!!! Its such a shame so many people put _unquestioned_ faith in doctors and drugs.
I do realize that in some cases, when used with caution, some Rx are ok... its just that 'legal' medicine is more abused  that ILLEGAL drugs... but no one jails the dealers!


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## SeaBreeze (Nov 3, 2014)

I agree with you both...follow the money. :dollar:


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## Warrigal (Nov 3, 2014)

Our government negotiates with the pharmaceutical companies to place their prescription drugs on the subsidised list at a reasonable cost. This only happens if the companies can prove that their products are safe and effective and that there is not a cheaper alternative that has the same therapeutic effect.

Some the more expensive drugs and/or toxic ones are only prescribed after the doctor obtains authorisation via a telephone call. There are still some drugs not on the subsidised list that we pay full price for. In preparation for our coming cruise we were vaccinated for typhoid and hepatitis and the cost was $175.00 for a single injection. Normally we only pay $6.00 per prescription as concession card holders. This is called a co-payment and is a lot less than the actual amount cost of the medication.

When making up a prescription, pharmacists can substitute a cheaper generic brand unless the doctor stipulates that this cannot happen. There is a safety net, currently $360 for concession card holders, and when this is reached in any one year, prescription meds are free for the rest of the year. My meds have been free now for several months and will be until 2015 begins.

But hey, who wants socialised medicine? Such a loss of individual freedom. :lol:


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## Bee (Nov 4, 2014)

The NHS comes in for a lot of critisms but I wouldn't change it, prescriptions are free from the age of 60.

The other good thing is I can order a repeat prescription on line with a choice of two chemists to pick it up from, if the doctor feels the need to see me again, he will either attach a letter to the repeat prescription to make an appoinment or the doctor will phone me personally to arrange an appointment time.


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## Ameriscot (Nov 4, 2014)

Bee said:


> The NHS comes in for a lot of critisms but I wouldn't change it, prescriptions are free from the age of 60.
> 
> The other good thing is I can order a repeat prescription on line with a choice of two chemists to pick it up from, if the doctor feels the need to see me again, he will either attach a letter to the repeat prescription to make an appoinment or the doctor will phone me personally to arrange an appointment time.



In Scotland they are free for everyone. Wales as well I think.


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## Bee (Nov 4, 2014)

That is better still.


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## hollydolly (Nov 4, 2014)

Ameriscot said:


> In Scotland they are free for everyone. Wales as well I think.




Yes that's a bit of sticking point for everyone in England who have to pay for prescriptions and lots of other things that Scotland and Wales gets free. Do you still get free hospital parking as well?


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## Bee (Nov 4, 2014)

Scotland has only been having free prescriptions since 2011 they followed Wales and Northern Ireland.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12928485

Free or reduced cost of prescriptions in England.

http://www.patient.co.uk/health/free-or-reduced-cost-prescriptions


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## Ameriscot (Nov 4, 2014)

Bee said:


> Scotland has only been having free prescriptions since 2011 they followed Wales and Northern Ireland.
> 
> http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12928485
> 
> ...



I think I was paying about £6.50 last time they had co-pays on prescriptions in Scotland. Actually, my dh and I are opposed to it as before they were free anyone who couldn't afford prescriptions got them free anyway.  So those who can afford them, like us, get them free thus costing the NHS more money that could be put elsewhere.


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## Ameriscot (Nov 4, 2014)

hollydolly said:


> Yes that's a bit of sticking point for everyone in England who have to pay for prescriptions and lots of other things that Scotland and Wales gets free. Do you still get free hospital parking as well?



Aye, parking is free.


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## hollydolly (Nov 4, 2014)

You see , AS, that's another sticking point in England...the hospital parking is very expensive.

I won't go into any political discussion here about it...but you can imagine why the English are upset at the unfairness of it all.  ( and after all I'm scottish and much as I support the Scots getting these things free, I still live in England and pay for all those things)...it's all unbalanced in a sovereign country!!


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## Ameriscot (Nov 4, 2014)

Bee said:


> The NHS comes in for a lot of critisms but I wouldn't change it, prescriptions are free from the age of 60.
> 
> The other good thing is I can order a repeat prescription on line with a choice of two chemists to pick it up from, if the doctor feels the need to see me again, he will either attach a letter to the repeat prescription to make an appoinment or the doctor will phone me personally to arrange an appointment time.



I have no complaints about he NHS at all where I live.  Great doctors and nurses and staff in my surgery.  Haven't had to make use of the hospitals yet except for a couple of outpatient appointments, but in-laws have and they got great care. 

I have a repeat prescription and simply drop off the request sheet at the doctor's office, and then pick it up a couple of days later.


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## Ameriscot (Nov 4, 2014)

hollydolly said:


> You see , AS, that's another sticking point in England...the hospital parking is very expensive.
> 
> I won't go into any political discussion here about it...but you can imagine why the English are upset at the unfairness of it all.  ( and after all I'm scottish and much as I support the Scots getting these things free, I still live in England and pay for all those things)...it's all unbalanced in a sovereign country!!



That would be very annoying for me as well.  Lots of English living here and they are getting all these free things.  There are, however, only 5 million here as opposed to 50 million in England, the overall costs can't really be compared.

You could look at it this way, Holly, you could be retired in the US and look at what health care costs them!  Very happy I'm retired here instead.


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## hollydolly (Nov 4, 2014)

OH yes I agree...I really feel for the American folk and their enormous medical bills...but Scotland is part of this country...You can imagine how much angst would be felt if for example people in California Paid huge medical bills, and those who live in New York got it for free!!


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## Ameriscot (Nov 4, 2014)

hollydolly said:


> OH yes I agree...I really feel for the American folk and their enormous medical bills...but Scotland is part of this country...You can imagine how much angst would be felt if for example people in California Paid huge medical bills, and those who live in New York got it for free!!



True.  I went for many years without health insurance in the US and was lucky I never had any serious issues.  I had decent health insurance through work when I needed surgery, but still had to pay 10% of the cost which at the time was $600. 

I am still shocked every year when I visit the US and see ads for prescription drugs.  And usually they don't even tell you what the drug is for.  They just say 'ask your doctor if this drug is for you'.


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## hollydolly (Nov 4, 2014)

Ameriscot said:


> True.  I went for many years without health insurance in the US and was lucky I never had any serious issues.  I had decent health insurance through work when I needed surgery, but still had to pay 10% of the cost which at the time was $600.
> 
> I am still shocked every year when I visit the US and see ads for prescription drugs.  And usually they don't even tell you what the drug is for.  *They just say 'ask your doctor if this drug is for you'.*


*



Good grief?...that's shocking!!!
*


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## Ameriscot (Nov 4, 2014)

hollydolly said:


> Good grief?...that's shocking!!!
> [/B]



Aye!  

I think we've hijacked this thread, Holly!


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## hollydolly (Nov 4, 2014)

I think yer right...sorry Don


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## Pappy (Nov 4, 2014)

I am in now what is called, the donut hole. I have exceeded the amount my insurer will pay on my co-pay. My Xarelto went from $45 a month to $145 a month till the end of the year. Then, starting next year, insurer will start the year will a big fat deductible before they will even start to pay.

My Symbicort also costs the same $145 a month too. I am now ordering Symbicort from Canada at a third of the cost.

Our  healthcare costs are totally out of control and hurting the seniors big time.


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## SifuPhil (Nov 4, 2014)

Here in the U.S. we also seem to be having a friendly rivalry of television advertisers: the drug companies are pushing their drugs, and the legal groups are screaming for you to join their lawsuits against the drug companies. 

Xarelto was the first one I noticed - one minute there's a lovely commercial with butterflies and unicorns and spring showers, and the next there's a legal group telling you that if you or a loved one has taken Xarelto and experienced headaches, nausea, loss of limbs, kidney failure or Munchhausen Syndrome you should call now!

And these two commercials were on the same channel and played withing 2 minutes of each other!


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## Pappy (Nov 4, 2014)

I see it every day, Phil. Six of one and half dozen of another. The advantage of Xarelto over warfarin is there is no need for monthly blood test. I have discussed this with my heart doctor and I get the old, well, you know, we think it will be fine. We, paleface, it's my body we are talking about.

Meanwhile, these freakin drug companies are laughing all the way to the bank. I'm told it takes about five years before they can put out a generic for this drug. Still, it's better than having a stroke due to a blot cot.


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## SifuPhil (Nov 4, 2014)

Didn't mean to scare you, Pap - you obviously have the situation under control. 

I just thought it amazing that the Yin/Yang thing was going on. 

5 years? I'll have to consult with my student - he's a pharmacist and might have some experience with that ... 

Can't promise you any free samples, though!


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## Don M. (Nov 4, 2014)

Australia, Europe, and most of the Western World saw the benefits of "Socialized Medicine" years ago...and their people have benefited, as a result.  Here, in the U.S., Big Money and Corporate Greed still reigns supreme, and we pay twice as much for health care as the rest of the world, and the results place us way down the list in terms of quality of care and value received for our money.  We used to have a "medical profession", but in recent years the title has changed to "Health Care Industry"....and the primary goal of Any Industry is to Make Money.  

But, there is hope on the horizon.  I think Obamacare will make such a mess of our system, that by the end of this decade health care will become almost unaffordable to most, and perhaps then, our people will wake up and demand that the greedy politicians forego their corporate sponsorship and begin the move to a system that has proven its worth to most of the rest of the world.


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## QuickSilver (Nov 4, 2014)

Don M. said:


> Australia, Europe, and most of the Western World saw the benefits of "Socialized Medicine" years ago...and their people have benefited, as a result.  Here, in the U.S., Big Money and Corporate Greed still reigns supreme, and we pay twice as much for health care as the rest of the world, and the results place us way down the list in terms of quality of care and value received for our money.  We used to have a "medical profession", but in recent years the title has changed to "Health Care Industry"....and the primary goal of Any Industry is to Make Money.
> 
> But, there is hope on the horizon.  I think Obamacare will make such a mess of our system, that by the end of this decade health care will become almost unaffordable to most, and perhaps then, our people will wake up and demand that the greedy politicians forego their corporate sponsorship and begin the move to a system that has proven its worth to most of the rest of the world.



Actually, while not decreasing, the cost's of healthcare is slowing.  So that's a good sign.  The ACA has only been in existence one year..  You cannot expect our out of control system to be fixed in that amount of time can you?  But it IS slowing.. and will continue to do so as the plan insures more people and people become heathier due to available healthcare.  We now need to see about getting peoples wages to increase. 

http://thinkprogress.org/health/201...inues-to-decrease-since-passage-of-obamacare/

A new survey of health care premiums for employer-sponsored health care coverage shows that health care inflation is slowing, further undermining critics’ predictions that costs would skyrocket in the aftermath of the Affordable Care Act.           


The report, conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation, estimates that the average annual premium in 2013 is $16,351 for family coverage — an average increase of 4 percent from last year. The rate is the latest indication that growth in health care costs is abating, though premiums are still increasing faster than workers’ wages (1.8 percent from 2012 to 2013) and general inflation (1.1 percent from 2012 to 2013). Employees are now contributing $4,565 on average toward the cost of their coverage.


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## Don M. (Nov 4, 2014)

Yes, the predictions and forecasts for what will happen under the ACA, are all over the place.  Some paint a rosy picture, while others are full of gloom and doom.  It will take 3 or 4 years to see just how this thing works out, but once the Health Care Industry figures out how to work around any positive provisions, and modify their tactics so as to insure their bloated profits, we will be right back in the situation where costs are increasing at a ridiculous pace.


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## QuickSilver (Nov 4, 2014)

All the more reason we should have gotten Single Payer.. or Medicare for all.   Say what you will about government bureaucracy.... the ONE thing the Federal Government seems to do well is Medicare.  It provides great care for Seniors while still having a 3% overhead cost.  Does anyone here absolutely HATE their Medicare? Have you been denied treatment?  Are you told what doctor you can or cannot see?    Private insurance on the other hand spends 20 to 30% on "administrative costs"  including bonuses for the CEOs. Routinely (that is until the ACA stopped it) denied coverage for pre-existing conditions, and dictated what treatments they allowed or denied. 

Sadly, Obama caved in on that before negotiations even started.. and still gave a plum to private insurance.


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## SeaBreeze (Nov 4, 2014)

I never went without healthcare in my entire life.  I didn't realize how obscene the costs of my Kaiser healthcare plan was, until I retired and started to pay my Cobra out of pocket, and continued to pay continually rising monthly premiums...a beginning to help deplete any retirement savings I had squirreled away from over 40 yrs. of full-time and overtime work, and paying my taxes, never collecting any form of welfare, etc.

It was like a kick in the teeth.  I for one was very happy to see the Affordable Care Act come into play, it's the first step to get the greedy powers that be behind the medical industry to stop the madness.  With a little bit of luck, we'll go to universal healthcare/single payer system like others already have, I'll surely be on Medicare by the time that happens in the US.

Besides the cost savings, Obamacare also has seen to it that those with pre-existing conditions are not denied insurance.  I'm on no prescriptions, I have no pre-existing conditions, and I rarely even see a doctor at all...but I'm glad for those who finally don't get screwed because they suffer from a disease.  Also, insurance companies can't just drop you for no reason, and I understand that was happening quite a bit to people.

The day I saw a prescription commercial on television, it disgusted me.  When I started seeing one every half-hour, I couldn't believe it.  They crank those drugs out as fast as they can.  You no longer get used to hearing one drug name, and it's been replaced with another, because that one was giving people heart attacks, or making them blind, etc.

I guess if you promote Obamacare in a red (republican/conservative/right-wing) state like Kentucky, you can get the citizens to go from hating it to loving it, just get Obama out of the name, and call it Kynect.


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## QuickSilver (Nov 4, 2014)

> I guess if you promote Obamacare in a red (republican/conservative/right-wing) state like Kentucky, you can get the citizens to go from hating it to loving it, just get Obama out of the name, and call it Kynect.



How is Mitch McConnell going to take Kynect away from the Kentuckians who are going to vote him back into office today?  I listened to him during his debate with Allison Lundergan Grimes..  Here's what he said when asked.



> “Kentucky Kynect is a website. It was paid for by a two-hundred-and-some-odd-million-dollar grant from the federal government. The website can continue but in my view the best interests of the country would be achieved by pulling out ObamaCare root and branch,” McConnell said in a debate with Alison Lundergan Grimes, the Democratic candidate for Senate.



He knows that so many Kentuckians don't realize that without Obamacare.. Kynect goes away.  How can he be so deceitful and hurt so many people that for some, is the first time they could see a doctor.  He literally makes me sick.


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## QuickSilver (Nov 4, 2014)

Back to the drug thing...  I was on a medication that I liked, and was working very well...  Until that is my INSURANCE company decided it wouldn't pay for it any longer.  The out of pocket cost for me would have been over $500 for a 90 day supply.   I had to switch to a different medication that does not work as well and I do not tolerate as well, but is covered.  So we can add Insurance companies as part of the tag team match to screw consumers.


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