Posted by King Vultan on November 11, 2004, at 0:15:50
In reply to That's standard for these programs » cubbybear, posted by Racer on November 9, 2004, at 19:22:16
Realizing, of course, that the profits of a company like Glaxo are incredibly massive, I think it's good that these companies do have programs to help people out. I know that the big reason they do it is to keep the government off their backs, but if I were in a position such that I needed to participate in one of these programs, I think I would fundamentally be grateful to get the med and would be willing to put up with pretty much any kind of inconvenience to do so.
The problem with Parnate (and Nardil, which is also expensive but not quite as obscene) is that the volume is so small compared to many other drugs that even with the ridiculous mark-up, the profit is basically infinitesimal. From a free market perspective, they can charge whatever the market will bear, but unfortunately, Glaxo and Pfizer essentially have monopolies on Parnate and Nardil, respectively. Nobody else makes them; the drugs are unlike anything else available, other than Marplan, and if you want one of these drugs, you have no choice but to deal with the limitations of a product with a single source, leaving you completely at the manufacturer's mercy.
Todd
poster:King Vultan
thread:413777
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20041108/msgs/414454.html