Why Bush made an extra effort *not* to negotiate pharmaceutical prices remains a mystery, or at least an annoyance. As a buyer when you have volume, you use it to force lower prices. That is basic economics and the norm for any business negotiation. The fact remains that today the US consumers consistently pay more for pharmaceuticals than anywhere else. Pharmaceutical producers from both Europe and the US know that they can easily get away with highway robbery in the US.
Drug prices are more expensive in America than in Europe because they can get away with it. It's part of the business plan of Big Pharma and they love that Congress has let them get away with highway robbery. Same drug, different country and yet they charge more. For the millionth time, how did the US lose its way with competition and why is it tolerated? It's time the big business feeding frenzy ends. Forget the story about lawsuits driving up costs, here's a classic example of how and why those costs are going up.
Big Pharma always tries their best to use the excuse about how expensive it is to release a new product. Sure, this is true but again, get out of the business if you don't like it and quit the crying. I'm also reminded of my own father's attempt to get access to trial medicine when he was dying. He had been been given chemotherapy which then triggered emphysema, which ultimately killed him. Despite the "expensive" drug testing that Big Pharma talks about, the scumbags demanded almost $30,000 CASH to have the honor of being a guinea pig for their drugs. He even debated spending his hard earned retirement money before the doctor and pharmaceutical company decided he was too sick and would ruin their study percentages. Remember a story like this the next time you hear these people talk about their costly drug trials because they are liars and exaggerators.
More on the AARP study:
"Just about everybody in today's economy is feeling some economic pressures and it does not help that the drugs you take to keep healthy are much more expensive than last year," said AARP's public policy director, John Rother. "I think this makes the case for health reform."Of course AARP is distorting the truth. How could we not believe the Big Pharma lobbyist because we know how truthful lobbyists for big business can be. I'll bet he can recommend some great Credit Default Swaps to buy as well.
The drug lobby group Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America dismissed AARP's report as "one-sided," criticizing its focus on selected brand-name medicines.
"Unfortunately, AARP distorts the true, overall picture in hopes of dramatizing its report and deflecting attention from the millions of dollars it earns each year from its insurance businesses," PhRMA's senior vice president, Ken Johnson, said in a statement.
