At the heart of much speculative fiction (and fiction in general) is a question. What if? On Tuesdays I like to throw one out there and see what you make of it. Do with it as you please. If a for-instance is not specified, feel free to interpret that instance as you wish. And if you find this becomes a novel-length answer, I'd appreciate a thank you in the acknowledgements. 😉
What if someone started a company to produce insulin to be sold at a modest profit to undercut big pharma's price gouging?
It's probably not possible. If it was possible, someone would have already started doing it. But articles like this make me so mad...
People should be able to get the medicine they need, Big Pharma or not. We need some kind of health insurance for everyone, dang it!
ReplyDeleteYes, I know. I generally avoid that screed, but I just couldn't today...
DeleteI probably would invest in the company. It is ridiculous what drugs cost and in the case of insulin a necessity for so many.
ReplyDeleteOthers
I would say we must be living in literally any other country in the world.
ReplyDeleteSadly most drugs are made in China because it's cheap. Can you imagine if they were made here?
ReplyDeleteYou need healthcare like we have. I would be all for it. Sad but Dr. Banting, who invented Insulin sold his patent for a buck in order to make it cheap and affordable for everyone...he must be turning over in his grave
ReplyDeleteI know. To all of what you said. Alas, there is too much of the Puritan work ethic among us. All must suffer...
DeleteLiz,
ReplyDeleteI think the problem is not that they can't make insulin less expensive to patients as much as it is greed. Pharmaceutical companies know it's a money game. Doctors prescribe the meds and insurance pays a sizable portion of the product. The pharmaceutical industry gets their money regardless if it's 100% self-paid or partially self-paid and insurance paid.
I think insurance companies should be available to to all people in all states without regulation. By making the market more competitive insurance cost will fall giving more people opportunity to become insured and for those who are truly too poor to get it on their own then there's always state assistant programs. If insurance companies are more competitive then the rest of the medical community might be put on notice to do something about medical costs from doctor/hospital visits to getting medication. It's absolutely insane when you find out just how expensive some medication is. I'm always like, "What would I do if I didn't have insurance?"
I'm a firm believer that the industry doesn't really want a cure for or for the meds to be cheaper because it's a money racket. It's better to treat the symptoms so their pockets can continually be lined with greenback. It's sad when greed rules a person's heart.
My niece is a pharmaceutical rep and her success gives me mixed emotions. ~sigh~ Private industry should be able to compete. This scenario would sure shake things up.
ReplyDeleteThat was the thought...
DeleteIt would probably be a slow start up for fear of it not being the correct thing or it having harmful stuff in it but....if someone could and it was safe I say that would be AWESOME....Awesome for the folks in need.
ReplyDeleteYeah, that would be the danger. Easy to say it's safe and made right, but someone has to verify that.
DeleteGreed. Pure greed that has killed people who need insulin to live. It leaves me speechless. I once worked for a man who had a wife and three children, all of whom had type 1 diabetes. I haven't seen him in years but I have wondered how his family is doing now. I wish someone could do just as you suggest.
ReplyDeleteI know, right. Undercut them. If only...
Delete