Drug Companies have their snouts even deeper in the trough

In July of 2015 a number of oncologists from major American cancer hospitals stated that the costs of cancer drugs are escalating, year by year, beyond reason. 

These doctors are requesting that government legislation be instituted to restrict the major drug companies from charging exorbitant prices for these very necessary drugs. 

Hi there. I'm a drug company executive. I can help you - for a price. 

All drug prices are rising, not just the drugs needed for cancer treatment. Drug prices in the U.S.A. have risen by 12 percent in the past year. 

In 2014, in the U.S.A. some examples of total drugs sales per year are these:

Oncology drugs (cancer drugs) - just under $80 billion

Anti-rheumatics (arthritis drugs) - about $49 billion

Anti-virals (largely antibiotic drugs) - about $43 billion

Anti-diabetics (diabetes drugs) - about $42 billion

Bronchodilators (inhalers for asthma, COPD, and lung diseases) - about $33 billion

Regardless of who is paying for these drugs - the patient or an insurance company or a government, the excessive profits are going into the pockets of the drug corporations and their shareholders. 

The concern expressed by numerous ethical physicians is that many ill people fall by the wayside in issues of drug coverage and therefore end up not getting the drugs they need because they can't afford them. 

Many people have gone bankrupt and have lost their homes and everything they own in order to pay for necessary drugs. 

Drug coverage for hepatitis C patients can cost tens of thousands of dollars per year per patient. 

Some new cancer fighting drugs cost more than $100,000. per year per patient. Some combinations of cancer fighting drugs can cost almost $300,000. per year per patient. 

The charge for an inhaler for lung issues, which many people rely on desperately in order to breathe properly, can cost over $2,000. per year.  If an inhaler for lung issues costs 3 or 4 dollars to manufacture, for how many years are people going to pay $200. for this inhaler to cover its "research and development costs"?  Forever, apparently. 

There are no controls placed on drug companies.  They are beyond reproach and do exactly what they want to do. 

Their response to any criticism is to state sternly that all of the money that is taken in by them is needed to "cover expenses" and for "research and development" in the creation of new drugs.  

Of course this is bull-s**t. We all know this and the drug companies know it as well.

Jesus, save us from the Drug
Corporations. They are killing us
with greed.

The drug companies provide us with greatly needed drugs to cure illness or to at least treat illness with some hope of maintaining a life. 

The drug companies deserve to make a reasonable profit on their products but they want an exorbitant profit and they seek this money in a greedy and self-serving fashion. 

Drug companies are not exempt from the corporate mindset which is profit driven. However drug companies are involved in maintaining health and life and are not involved in the selling of hamburgers or computers or cars. We want to believe that drug companies have some ethics and some morals. 

However, their extremely excessive profits are often made at the expense of the health of the sick and the dying. They turn their faces away and say: "It's all about business". 

God save us from corporate greed. Amen.