Drugmakers are set to raise prices on over 250 medications in the US starting January 1st. This news has unsurprisingly sparked widespread outrage and frustration, especially given the timing – just as many are facing economic challenges. The increases, it’s important to note, apply to list prices. These are the prices before rebates and discounts are factored in, meaning pharmacy benefit managers and other intermediaries will likely still receive significant concessions while consumers bear the brunt of the increase.
This raises immediate questions about fairness and accessibility. Many have voiced concerns that those who rely on these medications for chronic or rare conditions will struggle to afford the higher costs, potentially facing life-altering consequences.… Continue reading
Giant companies, specifically pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), received secret payments to facilitate the unrestricted flow of opioid prescriptions, significantly contributing to the devastating opioid crisis. This wasn’t a simple oversight; these payments, often in the hundreds of millions of dollars annually, acted as a de facto incentive to prioritize profit over public health. The sheer scale of the payments, like the approximately $400 million Purdue Pharma paid to PBMs by 2012, underscores the blatant disregard for the human cost of their actions.
These PBMs, controlling access to medication for millions, wielded immense power. Instead of utilizing this power to restrict opioid prescriptions, even amidst a surging overdose crisis, they actively worked to keep the flow of opioids unrestricted.… Continue reading
As a healthcare professional, I have always been appalled by the exorbitant prices that pharmaceutical companies charge for life-saving medications in the United States. The recent controversy surrounding Novo Nordisk’s pricing of Ozempic and Wegovy sheds light on the profit-driven motives that underlie the pharmaceutical industry. It is truly disheartening to see medications that could potentially improve the health and well-being of individuals being priced out of reach for many Americans.
Novo Nordisk’s CEO, Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen, has defended the high U.S. prices of these drugs by claiming that they are ‘helping’ reduce the cost of obesity in the long run.… Continue reading
I find it truly remarkable that a potential breakthrough in HIV prevention is within reach, with a vaccine that could cost as little as $40 a year per patient. The introduction of lenacapavir, an injection that can prevent infection and suppress HIV, is indeed a significant step forward in the fight against this global health crisis. The prospect of having an injection that only needs to be administered every six months and can provide such crucial protection is a game-changer. It is something that could potentially revolutionize the way we approach HIV prevention.
However, the reality of the situation quickly becomes grim when we realize that the actual cost of taking this vaccine in the USA is staggering.… Continue reading
The incident in Utica where police shot and killed a 13-year-old male has stirred up a range of emotions and raised many questions. The terminology used in headlines and reports, such as referring to the victim as a “13-year-old male,” seems deliberately clinical and detached. Why not simply say, “Utica police killed a 13-year-old boy”? The choice of language matters because it strips the humanity away from the victim and reduces him to a statistic.
The details of the incident paint a complex picture. The juvenile allegedly fled from the police and displayed what appeared to be a real handgun, which later turned out to be a pellet gun.… Continue reading
Matt Underwood 
John Q. Hosedrinker