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If we allowed a TRUE free market the US drug prices would collapse. If I could buy a drug from an online pharmacy in literally any other country I would be savi

by avgDev 2y ago

If we allowed a TRUE free market the US drug prices would collapse. If I could buy a drug from an online pharmacy in literally any other country I would be saving 90% of money. It is absolutely crazy that us Americans accept this broken system.

grecy 2y ago
> It is absolutely crazy that us Americans accept this broken system. Want to talk about broken systems? The US government bailed out GM for $51 billion dollars. That's billions that could have been spent on schools, or healthcare or much needed infrastructure. This month, GM spent billions on stock buybacks and millions on bonuses for execs while firing a ton of regular workers. I find it staggering Americans are not rioting in the streets. So many systems are utterly and completely broken.
- jefftk 2y ago
  > The US government bailed out GM for $51 billion dollars. The headline number here should be ~$11B [1] -- while the US put in more than that, they also got most of it back. [1] https://www.reuters.com/article/us-autos-gm-treasury-idUSBREA3T0MR20140430/ https://www.reuters.com/article/us-autos-gm-treasury-idUSBRE...
  - coredog64 2y ago
    The bailout allowed the government to impose strict conditions on GM that benefited the UAW and which they wouldn’t have gotten in a bankruptcy.
- ChadNauseam 2y ago
  Wasn’t the GM bailout a loan that was repaid? If so, it’s not quite a 1-1 comparison to spending that much on schools
  - grecy 2y ago
    As per another comment, $11 billion was never repaid - pure bailout.
- kbolino 2y ago
  The U.S. already spends an immense amount on schools, healthcare, and infrastructure. Our problem is not the amount spent so much as the lack of results commensurate with the cost.
munk-a 2y ago
Bankrupting other countries' socialized healthcare programs is an unacceptable solution. Canada already has to contend with frequent medication shortages due to the stress American health tourism puts on the system.
- alistairSH 2y ago
  How would fixing our pricing do this? One of the following is likely to be true (or a blend of the two): 1 - The US subsidizes everybody else's lower prices by overpaying. 2 - BigPharma is taking advantage of regulatory capture in the US to charge more than a "free market" would allow. If #1 is true, and the US starts negotiating prices, that's on the other countries to figure out. Not our concern. If #2 is true, and the US starts negotiating prices (or otherwise fixes the market), great, we've removed rent seeking and freed up massive piles of money for more productive spending.
- BeFlatXIII 2y ago
  The US is under no moral obligation to keep the healthcare of other nations in a solvent state.
Spivak 2y ago
> If I could buy a drug from an online pharmacy in literally any other country Is something actually stopping you from doing this? I've never tried Rx drugs but I've imported non-FDA approved sunscreen before and it went fine. I'm allowed to physically travel there, get an Rx, fill it, and take it back home. Does the online nature introduce a different hurdle?
- someguydave 2y ago
  https://www.fda.gov/industry/import-basics/personal-importation https://www.fda.gov/industry/import-basics/personal-importat... No, you are not allowed to travel there and take it home, but often the border guards look the other way “ In most circumstances, it is illegal for individuals to import drugs or devices into the U.S. for personal use because these products purchased from other countries often have not been approved by the FDA for use and sale in the U.S.”

by avgDev 2y ago

grecy 2y ago

> It is absolutely crazy that us Americans accept this broken system. Want to talk about broken systems? The US government bailed out GM for $51 billion dollars. That's billions that could have been spent on schools, or healthcare or much needed infrastructure. This month, GM spent billions on stock buybacks and millions on bonuses for execs while firing a ton of regular workers. I find it staggering Americans are not rioting in the streets. So many systems are utterly and completely broken.

jefftk 2y ago
> The US government bailed out GM for $51 billion dollars. The headline number here should be ~$11B [1] -- while the US put in more than that, they also got most of it back. [1] https://www.reuters.com/article/us-autos-gm-treasury-idUSBREA3T0MR20140430/ https://www.reuters.com/article/us-autos-gm-treasury-idUSBRE...
- coredog64 2y ago
  The bailout allowed the government to impose strict conditions on GM that benefited the UAW and which they wouldn’t have gotten in a bankruptcy.
ChadNauseam 2y ago
Wasn’t the GM bailout a loan that was repaid? If so, it’s not quite a 1-1 comparison to spending that much on schools
- grecy 2y ago
  As per another comment, $11 billion was never repaid - pure bailout.
kbolino 2y ago
The U.S. already spends an immense amount on schools, healthcare, and infrastructure. Our problem is not the amount spent so much as the lack of results commensurate with the cost.

munk-a 2y ago

Bankrupting other countries' socialized healthcare programs is an unacceptable solution. Canada already has to contend with frequent medication shortages due to the stress American health tourism puts on the system.

alistairSH 2y ago
How would fixing our pricing do this? One of the following is likely to be true (or a blend of the two): 1 - The US subsidizes everybody else's lower prices by overpaying. 2 - BigPharma is taking advantage of regulatory capture in the US to charge more than a "free market" would allow. If #1 is true, and the US starts negotiating prices, that's on the other countries to figure out. Not our concern. If #2 is true, and the US starts negotiating prices (or otherwise fixes the market), great, we've removed rent seeking and freed up massive piles of money for more productive spending.
BeFlatXIII 2y ago
The US is under no moral obligation to keep the healthcare of other nations in a solvent state.

Spivak 2y ago

> If I could buy a drug from an online pharmacy in literally any other country Is something actually stopping you from doing this? I've never tried Rx drugs but I've imported non-FDA approved sunscreen before and it went fine. I'm allowed to physically travel there, get an Rx, fill it, and take it back home. Does the online nature introduce a different hurdle?

someguydave 2y ago
https://www.fda.gov/industry/import-basics/personal-importation https://www.fda.gov/industry/import-basics/personal-importat... No, you are not allowed to travel there and take it home, but often the border guards look the other way “ In most circumstances, it is illegal for individuals to import drugs or devices into the U.S. for personal use because these products purchased from other countries often have not been approved by the FDA for use and sale in the U.S.”