Medical Question for the non-Americans here
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Recently the news outlets here have been running stories on the increasing prices of life saving drugs, like the EpiPen[^]. Here in US they are charging $600 for a pack of two. I am curious to what the rest of the world pays for EpiPens.
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10-20 € if not prescripted (aka: independently taken precautions), 1-2 € if prescripted. That's what taxes are for and the biggest costs for our SSN come from organized crime (a normal siringe costs 1c, in southern Italy they account 5c... from the same company with the same selling price) and scams like fake cancer cures from Literature graduates. Still it's cheaper this way and all in all the Italian hospital system ain't as bad as we think compared to the rest of the world. The real problem are the queues to access the SSN treatments and diagnosis - from 6 months to 2 years even for threatening situations. We have to thank all the 65+, as they have free access to the medical system and usually are hypocondriacs, and the extension to every clandestine immigrant of the SSN free of charge.
GCS d--- s-/++ a- C++++ U+++ P- L- E-- W++ N++ o+ K- w+++ O? M-- V? PS+ PE- Y+ PGP t++ 5? X R++ tv-- b+ DI+++ D++ G e++>+++ h--- ++>+++ y+++* Weapons extension: ma- k++ F+2 X If you think 'goto' is evil, try writing an Assembly program without JMP. -- TNCaver When I was six, there were no ones and zeroes - only zeroes. And not all of them worked. -- Ravi Bhavnani
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Not in Wales: prescriptions are all free.
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And Welsh taxes. The Welsh NHS tries to prioritise patients, rather than external company profits...hence why there aren't any car parking fees at Welsh hospitals either.
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
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Recently the news outlets here have been running stories on the increasing prices of life saving drugs, like the EpiPen[^]. Here in US they are charging $600 for a pack of two. I am curious to what the rest of the world pays for EpiPens.
if (Object.DividedByZero == true) { Universe.Implode(); } Meus ratio ex fortis machina. Simplicitatis de formae ac munus. -Foothill, 2016
In France, it is free.
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I wonder why it is so cheap? Since drug company in the US can charge whatever price they want and some have no competition and the US health department is forbidden by law to bargain...
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Because Ill people must be able to buy them ! If they are not able to, they'll die and you lose customers. Ill people with long-term diseases who are able to pay for their drugs are cash cows.
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Recently the news outlets here have been running stories on the increasing prices of life saving drugs, like the EpiPen[^]. Here in US they are charging $600 for a pack of two. I am curious to what the rest of the world pays for EpiPens.
if (Object.DividedByZero == true) { Universe.Implode(); } Meus ratio ex fortis machina. Simplicitatis de formae ac munus. -Foothill, 2016
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Because Ill people must be able to buy them ! If they are not able to, they'll die and you lose customers. Ill people with long-term diseases who are able to pay for their drugs are cash cows.
true that! :laugh:
A new .NET Serializer All in one Menu-Ribbon Bar Taking over the world since 1371!
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And Welsh taxes. The Welsh NHS tries to prioritise patients, rather than external company profits...hence why there aren't any car parking fees at Welsh hospitals either.
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OriginalGriff wrote:
The Welsh NHS tries to prioritise patients, rather than external company profits...hence why there aren't any car parking fees at Welsh hospitals either.
So, essentially, you might be paying more then someone else but you don't know that. :-\ Consequently you have less money available for other services (if government's health budget is limited and you spend 10 units on one service, you have 10 units less to spend on other services). Last but not least - trying to make a profit does not make a services more expensive. If that would be the case then we would all buy only at communist shops which would be full of high quality and cheap goods. Cause they would be "non-profit", like "more interested in feeding the hungry and world peace then profits", etc. In reality profits are a motor of innovation and improvement.
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OriginalGriff wrote:
The Welsh NHS tries to prioritise patients, rather than external company profits...hence why there aren't any car parking fees at Welsh hospitals either.
So, essentially, you might be paying more then someone else but you don't know that. :-\ Consequently you have less money available for other services (if government's health budget is limited and you spend 10 units on one service, you have 10 units less to spend on other services). Last but not least - trying to make a profit does not make a services more expensive. If that would be the case then we would all buy only at communist shops which would be full of high quality and cheap goods. Cause they would be "non-profit", like "more interested in feeding the hungry and world peace then profits", etc. In reality profits are a motor of innovation and improvement.
I'd agree - except in the case of outsourcing from any government, where it tends to go to cronies of the ruling party, who are there purely for the short term profit and have no concern for the "clients". But this is getting political, which doesn't belong in the Lounge...
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
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Recently the news outlets here have been running stories on the increasing prices of life saving drugs, like the EpiPen[^]. Here in US they are charging $600 for a pack of two. I am curious to what the rest of the world pays for EpiPens.
if (Object.DividedByZero == true) { Universe.Implode(); } Meus ratio ex fortis machina. Simplicitatis de formae ac munus. -Foothill, 2016
Foothill wrote:
Recently the news outlets here have been running stories on the increasing prices of life saving drugs, like the EpiPen[^]. Here in US they are charging $600 for a pack of two. I am curious to what the rest of the world pays for EpiPens.
Here[^] you go, an Australia article on it.
Michael Martin Australia "I controlled my laughter and simple said "No,I am very busy,so I can't write any code for you". The moment they heard this all the smiling face turned into a sad looking face and one of them farted. So I had to leave the place as soon as possible." - Mr.Prakash One Fine Saturday. 24/04/2004
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Nish Nishant wrote:
they expire every 12 months, which I think is a scam.
Are you willing to bet your life on that..... Just asking?:cool: Ken
If an expert lab can look into this and officially release a statement that it can certainly be used for say 24 months, I probably will.
Regards, Nish
Website: www.voidnish.com Blog: voidnish.wordpress.com
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Not necessarily - epinephrine is volatile, and degrades pretty quickly: particularly when it gets too warm. The 12 months limit is probably half the actual usability under "good" storage conditions, but to be effective in the hands of all users it needs to be kept shorter for safety.
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
Well, they don't let you refill the medicine - if they did, that'd solve this problem.
Regards, Nish
Website: www.voidnish.com Blog: voidnish.wordpress.com
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Cost of getting someone to look down at you wearing a hockey mask and theatrically brandishing a chainsaw: $0 In fact, that sounds like so much fun that I'd probably pay you a buck or two to let me do it (+ air fare + hotel costs).
I wanna be a eunuchs developer! Pass me a bread knife!
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I remember that. The news was calling the guy "The most hated person in America" and the little S**t's smug testimony to congress only made it worse.
if (Object.DividedByZero == true) { Universe.Implode(); } Meus ratio ex fortis machina. Simplicitatis de formae ac munus. -Foothill, 2016
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Foothill wrote:
Recently the news outlets here have been running stories on the increasing prices of life saving drugs, like the EpiPen[^]. Here in US they are charging $600 for a pack of two. I am curious to what the rest of the world pays for EpiPens.
Here[^] you go, an Australia article on it.
Michael Martin Australia "I controlled my laughter and simple said "No,I am very busy,so I can't write any code for you". The moment they heard this all the smiling face turned into a sad looking face and one of them farted. So I had to leave the place as soon as possible." - Mr.Prakash One Fine Saturday. 24/04/2004
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Frankly, this sort of thing should be criminal. $300 for a single EpiPen is just ridiculous. I get that drug companies pay billions in research costs, and that they need to recoup that somehow. But the EpiPen has been around more than long enough to have paid itself off. They should be sold practically at cost now. The FDA and FTC need to start regulating these prices. Drug companies should be required to submit all of their budget documentation for R&D, and the cost of the drug should then be calculated based upon projected market size and a standard number of years (say 5 or 10) to recoup the costs. Past that, there should be a cap on profitability, say 10-15% above material and production/distribution costs. No-one should be getting rich from helping people...
I agree the increase is egregious but part of that increase (not all but still a non-trivial amount) is the cost of meeting FDA and FTC reporting requirements and stuff like that so you are saying the solution is MORE government intrusion and paperwork? NO, I'm not for laissez-faire, willy nilly capitialism but do we really need more regulation?
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I agree the increase is egregious but part of that increase (not all but still a non-trivial amount) is the cost of meeting FDA and FTC reporting requirements and stuff like that so you are saying the solution is MORE government intrusion and paperwork? NO, I'm not for laissez-faire, willy nilly capitialism but do we really need more regulation?
MarkTJohnson wrote:
I agree the increase is egregious but part of that increase (not all but still a non-trivial amount) is the cost of meeting FDA and FTC reporting requirements and stuff like that
Hmm. Yeah, seems I failed to consider that part. You've a fair point. I'm just another one of those guys on the outside looking in, seeing a problem, but not seeing all the facets. Makes you wonder if reducing FDA and FTC involvement would help more or less than what I originally proposed... Something needs to be done, but it's admittedly above my pay-grade to come up with the best solution. I can spit-ball with the best of them though!
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MarkTJohnson wrote:
I agree the increase is egregious but part of that increase (not all but still a non-trivial amount) is the cost of meeting FDA and FTC reporting requirements and stuff like that
Hmm. Yeah, seems I failed to consider that part. You've a fair point. I'm just another one of those guys on the outside looking in, seeing a problem, but not seeing all the facets. Makes you wonder if reducing FDA and FTC involvement would help more or less than what I originally proposed... Something needs to be done, but it's admittedly above my pay-grade to come up with the best solution. I can spit-ball with the best of them though!
Almost fell out of my chair, a reasoned rationale response. Thank you.
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Recently the news outlets here have been running stories on the increasing prices of life saving drugs, like the EpiPen[^]. Here in US they are charging $600 for a pack of two. I am curious to what the rest of the world pays for EpiPens.
if (Object.DividedByZero == true) { Universe.Implode(); } Meus ratio ex fortis machina. Simplicitatis de formae ac munus. -Foothill, 2016
Don't fall victim to knee-jerk opinion. This is a well researched overview of the whole EpiPen controversy. As usual, the issue is never as simple and black-and-white as people think... Stonekettle Station[^]
Cheers, Mike Fidler "I intend to live forever - so far, so good." Steven Wright "I almost had a psychic girlfriend but she left me before we met." Also Steven Wright "I'm addicted to placebos. I could quit, but it wouldn't matter." Steven Wright yet again.
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Don't fall victim to knee-jerk opinion. This is a well researched overview of the whole EpiPen controversy. As usual, the issue is never as simple and black-and-white as people think... Stonekettle Station[^]
Cheers, Mike Fidler "I intend to live forever - so far, so good." Steven Wright "I almost had a psychic girlfriend but she left me before we met." Also Steven Wright "I'm addicted to placebos. I could quit, but it wouldn't matter." Steven Wright yet again.
That was an interesting, albiet a bit lengthy, article. I do agree with the author on several points. The thing that gets me is that we all know that congress is a problem. I can vote against the incumbents with every election but, until the other half of voters do too, we will keep sending the same ineffectual people to Washington DC.
if (Object.DividedByZero == true) { Universe.Implode(); } Meus ratio ex fortis machina. Simplicitatis de formae ac munus. -Foothill, 2016
