Before my Dad died of cancer(Multiple Myeloma), his Dr. gave him a prescription for Thalidimyde to help exend his life. The Dr. told him it was expensive, he was sorry, but it was the prescription company that was ripping the public off. Thalidimyde costs cents to make but it cost the public $1000.00 per month to buy. My Dad asked him why and the Dr. (who was a very honest, down to earth guy) said "Because the company knows that people will pay that amount to be able to live a little longer. And, because it was a drug that had been around for a long time but only recently being used as a cancer treatment (instead of for morning sickness), insurance companies considered it an experimental drug and wouldn't cover it. My Dad had 3 different med. ins. companies and it took many, many months to finally get his military insurance to cover it. In the meantime, he paid $1000.00/month to be able to spend more time with his loved ones.
I have several family members that have gone off their prescriptions simply because they can't afford them.
I think it's atrocious that companies charge so much simply because they can and they know there are enough people that will pay it. I applaud WalMart for their $4.00 prescription program. It is a blessing for many people who would otherwise be without the medical help they need. I also applaud the few Dr.'s who will do their best to keep their patients supplied with samples when they can't afford their prescriptions and, for whatever reasons, can't use alternative drugs. |