The cost of drugs is always a controversial topic. On the one hand, drug companies invest hundreds of millions of dollars developing and proving the effectivene

Question

The cost of drugs is always a controversial topic. On the one hand, drug companies invest hundreds of millions of dollars developing and proving the effectiveness and safety of a drug. Do they deserve to make money on them? On the other side, there are people who are simply too poor to pay for life-saving drugs on their own. Should they be left to die so that the drug companies can make their profit?

Answer 1

The cost of drugs is always a controversial topic.

Because (in USA) 'big pharma' is a for-profit behemoth, medication costs are astronomical in USA. Relentless lobbying solidifies this unhealthy situation by practically enslaving members of Congress to the special interests of that industry, to which there is no such thing as an obscene profit.

 

I know from personal experience. I can get the medication for hypothyroidism by just requesting it at a pharmacy in Thailand. But in USA I have to get a new prescription every few months, which requires a redundant & expensive visit to a doctor's office each time. (Have been taking this necessary medication daily for over 20 years.)