An anrchist takes on big pharma

[jediwill83]

https://www.statnews.com/2017/10/12/...r-drug-prices/

Interesting article......pretty gutsy and admirable. He says he can make the drug to cure Hep C for $800 vs the $84,000 the pharmaceutical industry charges for it.

[Aquila]

Gutsy indeed. lol

[aegsm76]

Having spent most of my career in Healthcare, I can say that he is out of his mind.
It is foolish for anyone to attempt to make drugs at home.
We have enough issues with home grown beer and wine poisonings.
Not to mention meth and other agents.
The price issues with drugs are from various sources.
It is not a simple issue.
Prices are set based on research costs, public valuation and purchase of stock or private companies, alternative drug costs, etc...
Companies have a limited time to recoup their investments, before the drug goes generic.
Once a drug is discovered and approved, the cost of producing it are usually minimal.
Those who believe that it should be "free" or cost less, would soon find themselves without new drugs, if the prices were forced to come down.
And I am not even going into how the government and insurance companies totally mask the actual cost of drugs.

[Evang.Benincasa]

Originally Posted by aegsm76

Having spent most of my career in Healthcare, I can say that he is out of his mind.
It is foolish for anyone to attempt to make drugs at home.
We have enough issues with home grown beer and wine poisonings.
Not to mention meth and other agents.
The price issues with drugs are from various sources.
It is not a simple issue.
Prices are set based on research costs, public valuation and purchase of stock or private companies, alternative drug costs, etc...
Companies have a limited time to recoup their investments, before the drug goes generic.
Once a drug is discovered and approved, the cost of producing it are usually minimal.
Those who believe that it should be "free" or cost less, would soon find themselves without new drugs, if the prices were forced to come down.
And I am not even going into how the government and insurance companies totally mask the actual cost of drugs.

[Aquila]

If people are willing to accept the risks because they can't afford much needed medication, shouldn't that be their personal choice?

[Aquila]

I don't think the goal is to have the medication for free. The goal is to reduce the cost of medication. The example given illustrates how a given medication might cost $84 thousand dollars to purchase from pharmaceutical companies. However, it might only cost $800.00 to make. So, essentially a private citizen could make the medication for only $800.00's and perhaps sell it for only $1,000.00's (only a $200 profit). Saves the sick person needing the medication, $83 thousand dollars.

[aegsm76]

Originally Posted by Aquila

I don't think the goal is to have the medication for free. The goal is to reduce the cost of medication. The example given illustrates how a given medication might cost $84 thousand dollars to purchase from pharmaceutical companies. However, it might only cost $800.00 to make. So, essentially a private citizen could make the medication for only $800.00's and perhaps sell it for only $1,000.00's (only a $200 profit). Saves the sick person needing the medication, $83 thousand dollars.

You realize that it would be almost impossible for a private citizen to do this?
Even a trained scientist would be hard pressed to put together a private lab in his home and do this.
Also, you realize that this is basically theft, right?
The companies that discovered/invented these drugs spent major dollars to do so.
Now, you want to take the end result of their labor and use it.
It is the same thing as software theft.

[Aquila]

Originally Posted by aegsm76

You realize that it would be almost impossible for a private citizen to do this?
Even a trained scientist would be hard pressed to put together a private lab in his home and do this.
Also, you realize that this is basically theft, right?
The companies that discovered/invented these drugs spent major dollars to do so.
Now, you want to take the end result of their labor and use it.
It is the same thing as software theft.

Those poor, poor pharmaceutical companies. I agree with Michael Laufer, when he said:

“To deny someone access to a lifesaving medication is murder."

He might be a thief. But he's no murderer.

[aegsm76]

Originally Posted by Aquila

Those poor, poor pharmaceutical companies. I agree with Michael Laufer, when he said:

“To deny someone access to a lifesaving medication is murder."

He might be a thief. But he's no murderer.

Appealing to emotion is not really addressing the issue.

[Aquila]

Originally Posted by aegsm76

Appealing to emotion is not really addressing the issue.

One can logically justify almost anything. But when you bring the heart and emotions on board, people generally begin to really feel what is right down in their bones.