I know I
keep getting busy, but today I am on a tear about an important topic that hits
close to home for me. Now you have probably heard in the news about the price
hikes in Epi Pens and how executives of the company that makes them are getting
pay hikes as a result it seems. That just ticks me off. And, it is not the
first and unfortunately probably not the last case of it we will hear any time
soon. Plus, it is just plain wrong. As well as against the practice of medicine
that pharmaceutical companies are part of.
Pharmaceuticals
make medicine, which puts them into the same line of work as doctors in a
sense. But, time after time they seem to forget that by repeatedly jacking up
the prices of medicines to make profits. You shouldn’t enter the field of
making medicine to make super profits, but instead to make a difference in the
world. And, if we are going to make bonuses matter at all it should be based
more on how many people are helped or saved by the products that are put out by
the company.
Companies
seems blind to the fact that their products are used by mostly middle class and
poor Americans who unlike the rest of the world don’t get to negotiate prices.
This being because the rest of the world has universal health care and can
negotiate drug prices that it will pay to any company. And, since companies
want to be in every country they negotiate with the countries to give the
country in question the best possible price. But, drug companies should be
looking out for their customers’ wallets anyways since if they do customers
will turn to them more often and trust in them. This gets them more money in
long term than short term with one big purchase.
Not only is
this a better business model, but it is also healthier for the world as well as
better practice for someone in the health industry. Anyone in the health
industry should be more concerned with the health of their customers more than
how much money they are making. Don’t get me wrong I am not against a company
making a reasonable profit. But, in the healthcare industry the health of the
customer should be put first not huge outrageous bonuses for executives. There
need to be realistic and logical decisions made when it comes to the pharmaceutical
industry.
Right now
it is crazy what they are doing. Trying to make as much money as possible while
watching people suffer needlessly. It is both morally wrong as well as
ethically wrong. These executives seem to lack basic human compassion. And,
sure when it comes to Epi Pens they have come out and said they will try to
help ease the burden. But, it does not change the fact that it is an ongoing
problem industry wide. And, something has to be done to deal with it.
Since while
yes this problem is being dealt with to a point, but there are still thousands
of others that cannot afford their medications because of the price the industry
has set for them. And, it has got to stop. The people are demanding that
something be done to stop outrageous drug prices from being made. Medications
should be affordable for everyone in this country. After all taxpayers are continuously
footing the bill for drug research and then getting bitten in the butt for the
cost of the resulting medication. This has to stop. Something must be done to
put a stop to this now, not tomorrow, not next week, but now.
For now, I will get down off my soapbox, but I am keeping
this issue in my sight. It has to be dealt with sooner than later after all.
For now, though feel free to leave questions and comments below. And, please
share this column with your friends and family. As for me I have some studying
and other work to do. *Tips his hat and walks out the door. *
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