This is incredible - I had to pass it on.

[mismused]

delete

 

[xssve]

The new politics - portfolio politics.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

If you think those prices are wild, research what hospitals charge you for the same meds. Aspirins are about $8 each.

The last time I went to the ER they charged me $1800 for a shot of pain-killer. I had a kidney stone. That is, the exam and shot were $1800.

 

[Liar]

Does those makers of generic drugs spend equal resources on R&D too or is it just reverse engineering of the others' work? And do you have the rigorous process veritifaction that you have for domestic drugs?

Just a thought.

 

[jomar]

Yeah, I bought almost a years supply of generic allergy meds (loratidine) for something like ten bucks.

A lot of the cost of prescription meds is high due to R&D, marketing (which is huge)...and maybe to some extent because insurance still subsidizes patients buying them.

 

[jomar]

Does those makers of generic drugs spend equal resources on R&D too or is it just reverse engineering of the others' work? And do you have the rigorous process veritifaction that you have for domestic drugs?

Just a thought.

Not to my knowledge. After it goes generic anybody can make it.

 

[xssve]

Does those makers of generic drugs spend equal resources on R&D too or is it just reverse engineering of the others' work? And do you have the rigorous process veritifaction that you have for domestic drugs?

Just a thought.

Most of that R&D is subsidized by the public - no reverse engineering necessary, anybody can get a copy of the research for the usual handling fee.

Much of the actual expense of product related expenses for pharmaceutical products is the clinical trials, which can be quite expenseive, but also usually subsidized.

Still, pharmaceutical profits tend to be anywhere from double to quadruple the profits of other commensurately large Fortune 500 firms.

http://www.bioethics.net/journal/j_articles.php?aid=61

 

[R. Richard]

A pharmaceutical company spends something approaching $800 million dollars to bring a drug to market. The drug has undergone not only a great deal of research but also clinical trials. If, at any point, the results of the trials indicate that the drug is not effective or has unacceptable side effects, the drug is not available for sale and the company writes off $800 million.

If the Mercks and Shering-Ploughs are making such great profits, then you are free to invest in the stocks and share in the profits.

The real truth is that it is a highly competitive business with high risks and high rewards. If you guess right, you get the rewards of the winners and avoid the unrecoverable cost of the losers. If you guess wrong, disaster.

 

[xssve]

Considering that almost all of it is subsidized, they're practically socialist institutions - and when was the last disaster?

 

[gauchecritic]

a minor matter...

for a budget analyst she doesn't know shit about basic cost economics.

Markup is a percentage of selling price.

Markup cannot equal let alone exceed 100%

Maybe she gave 110% in her research.