| The wonder drugs of present times help to
| |
| | coverage. So the cost of these products
|
| keep pain at bay and cholesterol levels
| |
| | hits people very hard." - Mahan said.
|
| low. They also guarantee good mood,
| |
| | A few facts: Due to AARP's last "Rx
|
| strong sexual prowess and lots of other
| |
| | Watchdog Report," published in August,
|
| benefits.
| |
| | prices of 195 top brand-name medications
|
| Unfortunately, many Amercicans are
| |
| | increased by 6.6 percent from the spring
|
| feeling the pain in their pocketbooks,
| |
| | of 2004 to the spring of 2005 - more than
|
| instead of general relief as the costs of
| |
| | double the 3 percent yearly factor of
|
| prescription drug reported to be
| |
| | inflation.
|
| increasing at twice the factor of
| |
| | AARP calculates that the average older
|
| inflation.
| |
| | American, who takes three prescription
|
| "These drugs do help a lot of people -
| |
| | medications, pays for the drugs about
|
| that's why it's such a shame that they
| |
| | $866 more than five years ago.
|
| are so expensive and out of reach for so
| |
| | When the report was released, Ken
|
| many," stated Dee Mahan who is a deputy
| |
| | Johnson, PhRMA's senior vice president
|
| director of health policy at Families USA
| |
| | stated that the AARP used "fuzzy math in
|
| from Washington, D.C., a nonprofit
| |
| | reaching its flawed conclusions."
|
| consumer organization that has fought for
| |
| | Trewhitt said: "Today's pharmaceutical
|
| lower prices of drug.
| |
| | price increases, which are at near
|
| Mahan said: "Prices are much lower in
| |
| | decade-low levels, are in line with those
|
| other countries. You can't help but feel
| |
| | of other health-care services, which
|
| as an American that you're getting gouged
| |
| | aren't as cost-effective."
|
| with the prices here."
| |
| | He is sure that the true problem is in
|
| A spokesman for the industry group PhRMA
| |
| | the growing groups of uninsured people in
|
| (Pharmaceutical Research and
| |
| | America: "Today, about 45 million
|
| Manufacturers of America), Jeff Trewhitt,
| |
| | Americans lack adequate insurance or any
|
| had a diefferent opinion.
| |
| | insurance. They often pay cash on the
|
| "The critics have done a good job of
| |
| | barrelhead for medicines at retail
|
| distorting the cost record," Trewhitt
| |
| | pharmacies and they don't have anyone
|
| said. "The fact is, prescription drugs
| |
| | negotiating good discounts on their
|
| (including generics) account for about 11
| |
| | behalf."
|
| percent of each health-care dollar, with
| |
| | In response, Mahan agreed and at the same
|
| hospitals, doctors, surgeries, the cost
| |
| | time disagreed again: "We certainly do
|
| of medical equipment and other expenses
| |
| | have too many people without coverage -
|
| accounting for the remaining 89 cents."
| |
| | I'm not arguing with him on that one"-
|
| More importantly, Trewhitt claimed, the
| |
| | said. But she added that health plans
|
| disease-management powers of a large
| |
| | cut out prescription-drug coverage
|
| number of these drugs - such as
| |
| | accurately because prices have increased
|
| antidepressant SSRIs or
| |
| | very quickly to a high level.
|
| cholesterol-lowering statins - are
| |
| | Mahan's group fight for price rollback as
|
| actually saving "billions of dollars" of
| |
| | well as lobby for some kind of federal
|
| the health-care system and the consumers
| |
| | controls of the prices as occur in Canada
|
| as they preclude expensive and
| |
| | and Europe. Industry representatives try
|
| complicated care such as surgery and
| |
| | to defend by saying that the controls
|
| hospitalizations.
| |
| | could strike research and development,
|
| "For example, the average cost of an
| |
| | but Mahan doesn't believe it.
|
| anti-ulcer drug is about $900 a year.
| |
| | "We've looked at profits and spending
|
| When a patient takes the medicine and
| |
| | patterns in pharmaceutical companies and
|
| avoids the surgery, he avoids paying an
| |
| | what you see consistently is that R&D is
|
| average of $28,000 for the operation. The
| |
| | well overshadowed by spending on
|
| average cost of a heart disease drug is
| |
| | marketing, advertising and
|
| $1,200 a year, compared to an average of
| |
| | administration," she noticed. "It's also
|
| about $42,000 for coronary artery bypass
| |
| | well overshadowed by profits."
|
| surgery." - Trewhitt emphasized.
| |
| | Price controls in the USA appear to be
|
| Mahan stated she doesn't deny either of
| |
| | very distant. According Trewhitt and
|
| Trewhitt's points, despite the fact that
| |
| | Mahan people should be careful with
|
| she is sure the cost of prescription
| |
| | shopping and use all the available
|
| drugs in health-care spending is "a
| |
| | discounts as well as comparison shopping.
|
| little higher" than the 11 percent he
| |
| | In January, for those in age of over 65,
|
| mentioned.
| |
| | the expected Medicare drug benefit is to
|
| In her opinion lots of expensive new
| |
| | be kick off.
|
| medications save lives and keep patients
| |
| | Both sides agree to a point that a great
|
| from having to experience even much more
| |
| | deal of the highly popular, expensive
|
| expensive interventions.
| |
| | prescription drugs are able to improve
|
| "But that's exactly why we think it's
| |
| | people's lives.
|
| incredibly important that people be able
| |
| | Mahan said: "I spend a lot of my time at
|
| to afford these products. And what you
| |
| | my work trying to get policy changes that
|
| have right now is a situation where there
| |
| | would help people access affordable
|
| are a lot of people who have no
| |
| | drugs. If I didn't think the drugs were
|
| [insurance] coverage and a lot who have
| |
| | good and worth it, I'd be doing something
|
| coverage that excludes prescription drugs
| |
| | else.
|
| or has very meager prescription-drug
| |
| |
|
