A Win for Patients :).... NYT: "To Drive Down Insulin Prices, W.H.O. Will Certify Generic Versions"

[Engrailed]

Am I allowed to post the whole article here (for those facing a paywall? Ive posted a portion of it):

To Drive Down Insulin Prices, W.H.O. Will Certify Generic Versions (Published 2019)

About 80 million people with diabetes around the world need the hormone, and half of them can’t afford it. Creating competition could help, the agency said.

www.nytimes.com

In Today's NYT:
GLOBAL HEALTH
To Drive Down Insulin Prices, W.H.O. Will Certify Generic Versions
"About 80 million people with diabetes around the world need the hormone, and half of them can’t afford it. Creating competition could help, the agency said.

With insulin prices skyrocketing and substantial shortages developing in poorer countries, the World Health Organization said on Wednesday that it would begin testing and approving generic versions of the drug.

Agency officials said they hoped to drive down insulin prices by encouraging makers of generic drugs to enter the market, increasing competition. At the moment, the world’s insulin market is dominated by three companies — Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk and Sanofi — and they have steadily pushed up prices for two decades.

“Four hundred million people are living with diabetes, the amount of insulin available is too low and the price is too high, so we really need to do something,” Emer Cooke, the W.H.O.’s head of regulation of medicines and health technologies, said as she announced the plan.

The approval process, which the W.H.O. calls “prequalification,” will permit United Nations agencies and medical charities like Doctors Without Borders to buy approved generic versions of insulin....."

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[AnatomyGrey12]

You can literally walk into Walmart and buy insulin. It’s cheap.

 

[paimei42]

You can literally walk into Walmart and buy insulin. It’s cheap.

Not all insulins are the same. Yes you can go in to walmart and get 25 dollar human insulin but a lot of the "newer" insulin analogs like humalog and what have you are super expensive and have been shown to have significantly less complications.

 

[ChymeofPassion]

Not all insulins are the same. Yes you can go in to walmart and get 25 dollar human insulin but a lot of the "newer" insulin analogs like humalog and what have you are super expensive and have been shown to have significantly less complications.

So paying a higher price for higher quality. Isn't this how capitalism is intended to operate? (I know absolutely nothing other than what you just said about the issue, though).

 

[Engrailed]

You can literally walk into Walmart and buy insulin. It’s cheap.

also, believe it or not, not everyone in the world has the luxury of living next to a Walmart. And even then, something like insulin is life or death for those who have diabetes. I think WHO is making a step in the right direction when clearly govt intervention or reform for even the MOST BASIC meds are absent on the horizon right now

 

[TwoHighways]

I doubt there are 80 million type 1 diabetics around the world.

 

[electropartyogram]

I doubt there are 80 million type 1 diabetics around the world.

Diabetes Statistics - DRIF

www.diabetesresearch.org

This is just in the United States. 23.1 million. 7.2% of the population is diagnosed. Both types.

Sorry, just saw Type 1. We have 1.5 million. The WHO says there are 80 million total diabetics, not just Type 1.

 

[TwoHighways]

Diabetes Statistics - DRIF

www.diabetesresearch.org

This is just in the United States. 23.1 million. 7.2% of the population is diagnosed.

type 1

Suggesting that insulin is the proper treatment for type 2 diabetics is a result in fundamental misunderstanding of the disease process.

 

[electropartyogram]

type 1

Suggesting that insulin is the proper treatment for type 2 diabetics is a result in fundamental misunderstanding of the disease process.

I am not suggesting anything. This is the WHO saying 80 million diabetics need insulin. I am sure they are including Type 1 and Type 2 for their own reasons. If you go off of our proportions, then there are still 35 million Type 1 diabetics in the world.

Many people with type 2 diabetes can control their blood glucose by following a healthy meal plan and a program of regular physical activity, losing excess weight, and taking medications. Medications for each individual with diabetes will often change during the course of the disease. Insulin also is commonly used to control blood glucose in people with type 2 diabetes.

This is from the link above. It is most likely that Type 2 diabetics around the world do not have access to proper medical care, so there is an assumption that they will use insulin to manage their disease.

 

[TwoHighways]

I am not suggesting anything. This is the WHO saying 80 million diabetics need insulin. I am sure they are including Type 1 and Type 2 for their own reasons. If you go off of our proportions, then there are still 35 million Type 1 diabetics in the world.



This is from the link above. It is most likely that Type 2 diabetics around the world do not have access to proper medical care, so there is an assumption that they will use insulin to manage their disease.

Type 1 diabetics would be selected out of the population, particularly in the undeveloped world, therefore you can’t use our incidence to extrapolate numbers of type 1 diabetics around the world.

Back on track, I’m all in favor of competition from generic equivalents and feel that reducing the number of years on drug patents would go a long way to helping us domestically and abroad.

 

[Obnoxious Dad]

Type 1 diabetics would be selected out of the population, particularly in the undeveloped world, therefore you can’t use our incidence to extrapolate numbers of type 1 diabetics around the world.

Back on track, I’m all in favor of competition from generic equivalents and feel that reducing the number of years on drug patents would go a long way to helping us domestically and abroad.

Well, it doesn't matter how you feel. Pharma spends about $200 billion a year on research. If the drug companies can't make a reasonable return on their research capital, they'll stop investing in new drugs. We desperately need effective therapies for the various types of dementia and a host of other problems. It's the drug companies that are the most likely supplier of those therapies.

The real problem for Americans is that the drug companies price their products in foreign countries based on the cost of production and distribution while in the U.S. prices are a function of whatever the traffic will bear. The new drugs addressing Hep C are a perfect example. Instead of demonizing the drug companies the finger ought to be pointed at Europe, Canada, China, India (which has no regard for pharmaceutical patents) and Australia. Get the moochers in other countries to pay their fair share and you'll have more investment in new drugs and lower prices in the U.S.

 

[TwoHighways]

Well, it doesn't matter how you feel. Pharma spends about $200 billion a year on research. If the drug companies can't make a reasonable return on their research capital, they'll stop investing in new drugs. We desperately need effective therapies for the various types of dementia and a host of other problems. It's the drug companies that are the most likely supplier of those therapies.

The real problem for Americans is that the drug companies price their products in foreign countries based on the cost of production and distribution while in the U.S. prices are a function of whatever the traffic will bear. The new drugs addressing Hep C are a perfect example. Instead of demonizing the drug companies the finger ought to be pointed at Europe, Canada, China, India (which has no regard for pharmaceutical patents) and Australia. Get the moochers in other countries to pay their fair share and you'll have more investment in new drugs and lower prices in the U.S.

Exogenous ketones are pretty promising (and cheap). The whole drug based model of medicine is so backwards in a lot of chronic conditions. I would include dementia in this realm. We need to look through the lens of understanding the pathology and prevention. I don’t disagree with the rest of your post. If patents are non-existant abroad, it’s BS that pharma is pretty much profiting on Americans alone.

 

[deleted927529]

You can literally walk into Walmart and buy insulin. It’s cheap.

Novolin doesn't work for everyone. Do you think the people spending >$5000 every year on insulin just need to shop around some more?

 

[electropartyogram]

We need to look through the lens of understanding the pathology and prevention.

We know this for many diseases (diabetes, CVD) and the prevention of them (weight loss, eating healthy foods, exercise) has been discussed in another thread. For other diseases, the drug-based model of therapy is a requirement, and we depend on pharmaceutical companies to pump billions into research and development to have these.

From discovery to Phase 3/4 clinical trials, a drug will cost upwards of $1 billion and 16-18 years of time into the life of the patent, which only lasts 20 years. Most pharmaceutical companies are pretty decent at spending a healthy portion of their expenses on R&D.

Patents are only non-existent in countries like India, China, Pakistan, North Korea. There are international patent agreements that are secured in the patent approval processes. It is true that the burden of cost is mainly on the United States, but again, it is because of the market here versus the rest of the world, and you can thank insurance companies for that.

 

[RNthenDoc]

Politicians will put price caps on companies in the US. The result will be that prices go up in developing nations, and millions will suffer.

In the US, however, there will be cheaper drugs and it will save lives.

We have tried to legislate massive corporations into morality before, and it simply doesn’t work. Did Bank of America lose money when the government capped overdraft fees?

NO. They increased a revenue stream elsewhere to make up for the change, and consumers still suffered the same.

You have to be able to see the big picture. Bandaids don’t work.

 

[paimei42]

So paying a higher price for higher quality. Isn't this how capitalism is intended to operate? (I know absolutely nothing other than what you just said about the issue, though).

Ultimately its a larger issue of access. As others have pointed out, many of these insulins are not substitutes for each other. Alot of the stories you read of people dying from uncontrolled sugar are of people who have used the cheap walmart insulin/were trying to transition to it because the other options were cost prohibitive/they lacked access to medical supervision to help them make that transition more safely.

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

Novolin doesn't work for everyone. Do you think the people spending >$5000 every year on insulin just need to shop around some more?

Ultimately its a larger issue of access. As others have pointed out, many of these insulins are not substitutes for each other. Alot of the stories you read of people dying from uncontrolled sugar are of people who have used the cheap walmart insulin/were trying to transition to it because the other options were cost prohibitive/they lacked access to medical supervision to help them make that transition more safely.

Many FM docs would disagree with you. Novolin isn't perfect, but you can absolutely respectably manage diabetes with it.

But of course here in America we expect the best and most forefront drugs and treatments given to us, and we need it NOW. It doesn't help that the US is funding the R&D of the rest of the world.

This has been discussed in multiple places around this site. I'm not going to rehash all the false assumptions and beliefs held by many in this thread.

 

[jambro]

Yes, if the US pays less, the pharma companies will force poorer countries to pay more. This line of logic assumes that the pharma companies have a certain amount of profit they would like to make, and chose not to make more in these other countries because the US paid them a sufficient amount. This is totally how capitalism works.

 

[paimei42]

Many FM docs would disagree with you. Novolin isn't perfect, but you can absolutely respectably manage diabetes with it.

Of course you can, but it often requires closer supervision no?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/he-lost-his-insurance-and-turned-to-cheaper-form-of-insulin-it-was-a-fatal-decision/2019/08/02/106ee79a-b24d-11e9-8f6c-7828e68cb15f_story.html

 

[deleted927529]

Many FM docs would disagree with you. Novolin isn't perfect, but you can absolutely respectably manage diabetes with it.

But of course here in America we expect the best and most forefront drugs and treatments given to us, and we need it NOW. It doesn't help that the US is funding the R&D of the rest of the world.

This has been discussed in multiple places around this site. I'm not going to rehash all the false assumptions and beliefs held by many in this thread.

It sounds like you're saying it's patients' faults they're paying so much for insulin. Doctors are the ones actually prescribing the more expensive insulins. Not to mention that the "best" drugs only exist to extend companies' patents. Americans are stuck buying the new stuff.

The problem with high drug prices isn't 'foreign freeloading,' it's the patent system

The patent system allows prescription drug companies to promote reckless pricing according to Tahir Amin.

www.cnbc.com

 

[electropartyogram]

Yes, if the US pays less, the pharma companies will force poorer countries to pay more. This line of logic assumes that the pharma companies have a certain amount of profit they would like to make, and chose not to make more in these other countries because the US paid them a sufficient amount. This is totally how capitalism works.

Without capitalism, there would be much less innovation. Capitalism creates competition. Competition drives innovation. Innovation saves lives.

Edit: Many people seem to forget that these pharmaceutical companies spend millions funding clinical trials research for many breakthrough drugs. Sure, money and profit is their motivation, but the benefits these drugs provide to society, and the world, outweigh those motivations.

 

[Futuredocplz531]

Without capitalism, there would be much less innovation. Capitalism creates competition. Competition drives innovation. Innovation saves lives.

Yep, and people don’t realize that it takes millions of dollars to do R&D on a drug that might not even get approved

 

[electropartyogram]

From: How CRISPR Is Accelerating Drug Discovery

 

[Futuredocplz531]

View attachment 286250

From: How CRISPR Is Accelerating Drug Discovery

This needs to be shown to patients who say “why are these little pills $30 that’s crazy!”

 

[jambro]

Without capitalism, there would be much less innovation. Capitalism creates competition. Competition drives innovation. Innovation saves lives.

Edit: Many people seem to forget that these pharmaceutical companies spend millions funding clinical trials research for many breakthrough drugs. Sure, money and profit is their motivation, but the benefits these drugs provide to society, and the world, outweigh those motivations.

Yep, and people don’t realize that it takes millions of dollars to do R&D on a drug that might not even get approved

Also, 9 of 10 top pharma manufacturers spend more on advertising than on R&D. And this is ignoring the fact that the NIH research subsidizes pharma companies to the tune of 10s of billions, and yet there is no sharing in the profits. And we think that these R&D costs are why these drugs "have" to be expensive? Furthermore, the patent for insulin was sold for 1 dollar, and yet here in America we pay around 300 bucks and yet in Canada they pay 32 bucks. Clearly there is more to the story than "poor ol' pharma companies won't make the drugs (that no one can afford)" if they can't price gouge Americans relative to the rest of the world.

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

It sounds like you're saying it's patients' faults they're paying so much for insulin.

No, my point is that if you can't afford expensive stuff you can 100% survive and decently manage diabetes without it. And no you don't need weekly checkups with your PCP to manage it on Novolin either....

I do agree with the point about the patent system, but that is a government issue. Ironic, since people seem to want more government to solve their problems....

 

[deleted927529]

No, my point is that if you can't afford expensive stuff you can 100% survive and decently manage diabetes without it. And no you don't need weekly checkups with your PCP to manage it on Novolin either....

I do agree with the point about the patent system, but that is a government issue. Ironic, since people seem to want more government to solve their problems....

No one is using the expensive insulin who wasn't told to do so by their doctor. Why is anyone prescribing Humalog at all if Novolin works fine in 100% of cases and won't bankrupt you? I'm genuinely curious what you think a patient should do if they can't afford the prescription for the management plan their doctor gives them.

As for your second point, considering private industry is gaming regulations, it is a situation where more government would be required

 

[TwoHighways]

Get people off the **** insulin and this is a non-issue. Physicians being in bed with pharmaceuticals is no secret when it comes to recommending more expensive drugs over generic equivalents.

We need a better educated, more vigilant public. We need more transparency. We need to get rid of the idea that a magic medication can replace good living.

 

[jambro]

Can we get rid of the idea that the US has to pay 10x the cost for drugs too?

 

[TwoHighways]

Can we get rid of the idea that the US has to pay 10x the cost for drugs too?

I’m all for it. We spend far too much on healthcare, period, and chronic disease is driving it all. Let’s flip the paradigm in medicine before we go bankrupt. We’re tomorrow’s physicians. It’s on us.

 

[electropartyogram]

I’m all for it. We spend far too much on healthcare, period, and chronic disease is driving it all. Let’s flip the paradigm in medicine before we go bankrupt. We’re tomorrow’s physicians. It’s on us.

Yeah, and when you tell your patient to lose some weight and eat healthier like other physicians have been doing so for years, how is that going to work out? It's not "on" the future physicians. It's "on" the people to actually listen and try to take steps (literally and figuratively) for their own health.

I agree we pay a lot for health care, but there are multiple reasons, part of which is how valuable the dollar is compared to the rest of the world. $100 here for generic insulin is not the same in Africa. Plus, insurance companies are supposed to front most of the cost. We pay more for most things here because we have a stronger economy. You can't equate the United States to other countries and say, "Oh, we pay more." Obviously, we do, look at what we are being compared to. How many new cars do you think car companies sell abroad?? Not nearly as many as in the U.S. relative to the population. This is the burden of being the leader of the world. If you don't like it then go be a physician somewhere else.

 

[paimei42]

No, my point is that if you can't afford expensive stuff you can 100% survive and decently manage diabetes without it. And no you don't need weekly checkups with your PCP to manage it on Novolin either....

Why telling people with diabetes to use Walmart insulin can be dangerous advice

(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.)

www.chicagotribune.com

 

[mwsapphire]

You can literally walk into Walmart and buy insulin. It’s cheap.

So paying a higher price for higher quality. Isn't this how capitalism is intended to operate? (I know absolutely nothing other than what you just said about the issue, though).

People literally die because of cheap insulin.
Here is the link

 

[TwoHighways]

Yeah, and when you tell your patient to lose some weight and eat healthier like other physicians have been doing so for years, how is that going to work out? It's not "on" the future physicians. It's "on" the people to actually listen and try to take steps (literally and figuratively) for their own health.

I agree we pay a lot for health care, but there are multiple reasons, part of which is how valuable the dollar is compared to the rest of the world. $100 here for generic insulin is not the same in Africa. Plus, insurance companies are supposed to front most of the cost. We pay more for most things here because we have a stronger economy. You can't equate the United States to other countries and say, "Oh, we pay more." Obviously, we do, look at what we are being compared to. How many new cars do you think car companies sell abroad?? Not nearly as many as in the U.S. relative to the population. This is the burden of being the leader of the world. If you don't like it then go be a physician somewhere else.

It’s not as simple as telling people how to lose weight, and then there downright lies given out by mainstream dietitians (undoubtedly under the influence of big ag and snack food and beverage companies) and other medical professionals on how to go about doing it.

As a percentage of GDP, we spend far more than any other country. That is a ******* problem, no ifs, ands, or buts about it. Apples to apples comparison. I wouldn’t expect a third world country to spend the same amount in absolute dollars as we do.

I’m not even sure how or why the medical insurance model came to be. It is something I need to look more into, but I’m sure it’s just as shady as pharmaceutical reps fleecing physicians to push one drug on their patients over a cheaper alternative.

 

[ChymeofPassion]

People literally die because of cheap insulin.
Here is the link

Tragic story. But I didnt read anything in the article about how it was strictly the difference of insulin that caused this? That was never explicitly stated, and the girlfriend said "he said he would take his insulin before bed". Did he? I don't know the pharmacokinetics, but did they determine he did take his insulin? Are there statistics on longitudinal outcomes of genetic Walmart insulin vs high quality, when properly used. Thats what would be interesting and a cause for concern. less convinced by a NY Post article.

 

[mwsapphire]

Tragic story. But I didnt read anything in the article about how it was strictly the difference of insulin that caused this? That was never explicitly stated, and the girlfriend said "he said he would take his insulin before bed". Did he? I don't know the pharmacokinetics, but did they determine he did take his insulin?

I think the point is cheaper insulin may cause side effects/.My point is capitalism does determine that you should pay money for better stuff- but that shouldn't apply to healthcare- the best healthcare should be for everyone. Money should only be able to buy less wait time ( look at the UK healthcare system), not safer meds. ( Designer drugs are another story.)

 

[ChymeofPassion]

I think the point is cheaper insulin may cause side effects/.My point is capitalism does determine that you should pay money for better stuff- but that shouldn't apply to healthcare- the best healthcare should be for everyone. Money should only be able to buy less wait time ( look at the UK healthcare system), not safer meds. ( Designer drugs are another story.)

In a perfect world, definitely. Agreed

 

[deleted987519]

https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp1909402?query=featured_home

"The U.S. Insulin Crisis" some may find an interesting read

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

Why telling people with diabetes to use Walmart insulin can be dangerous advice

(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.)

www.chicagotribune.com

People literally die because of cheap insulin.
Here is the link

When you choose to engage in debate its wise to refute using actual citations and not this, well, whatever this is. FM docs manage patients with Walmart insulin very successfully all the time.

Lol the NY Post... please.

I think the point is cheaper insulin may cause side effects/.My point is capitalism does determine that you should pay money for better stuff- but that shouldn't apply to healthcare- the best healthcare should be for everyone. Money should only be able to buy less wait time ( look at the UK healthcare system), not safer meds. ( Designer drugs are another story.)

Depends on what "best healthcare" mean. Getting that cutting edge cancer treatment at the age of 85? No. Getting absolutely every available treatment regardless of cost? Again, absolutely not. If you can't pay for that wonder drug that costs 60k a month then you don't get it. Society isn't obligated to pay for it. The company that designed that drug at a cost of 1 BILLION also isn't obligated to give it away for free. You really want to drive down the cost? Get rid of the government placed patent laws that prohibit a competitor from creating a cheaper version.

 

[mwsapphire]

When you choose to engage in debate its wise to refute using actual citations and not this, well, whatever this is. FM docs manage patients with Walmart insulin very successfully all the time.

Lol the NY Post... please.



Depends on what "best healthcare" mean. Getting that cutting edge cancer treatment at the age of 85? No. Getting absolutely every available treatment regardless of cost then again, absolutely not. If you can't pay for that wonder drug that costs 60k a month then you don't get it. Society isn't obligated to pay for it. The company that designed that drug at a cost of 1 BILLION also isn't obligated to give it away for free. You really want to drive down the cost? Get rid of the government placed patent laws that prohibit a competitor from creating a cheaper version.

You...really think there isn't a healthcare crisis in this country based on cost?Wow.

 

[electropartyogram]

When you choose to engage in debate its wise to refute using actual citations and not this, well, whatever this is. FM docs manage patients with Walmart insulin very successfully all the time.

Lol the NY Post... please.



Depends on what "best healthcare" mean. Getting that cutting edge cancer treatment at the age of 85? No. Getting absolutely every available treatment regardless of cost then again, absolutely not. If you can't pay for that wonder drug that costs 60k a month then you don't get it. Society isn't obligated to pay for it. The company that designed that drug at a cost of 1 BILLION also isn't obligated to give it away for free. You really want to drive down the cost? Get rid of the government placed patent laws that prohibit a competitor from creating a cheaper version.

Agreed. People should receive the standard of care; not everyone is entitled to the "best" care.

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

You...really think there isn't a healthcare crisis in this country based on cost?Wow.

What?

Not sure where you are claiming me to have said that, but if you mean that I believe that not everyone is entitled to the best care and is only entitled to the standard of care then yes I do believe that.

 

[Engrailed]

What?

Not sure where you are claiming me to have said that, but if you mean that I believe that not everyone is entitled to the best care and is only entitled to the standard of care then yes I do believe that.

Wow if this isn’t #privilege/entitlement, I don’t know what is. Please don’t run for govt.

 

[mwsapphire]

What?

Not sure where you are claiming me to have said that, but if you mean that I believe that not everyone is entitled to the best care and is only entitled to the standard of care then yes I do believe that.

Are you a Republican ( I'm serious)?

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

Wow if this isn’t #privilege/entitlement, I don’t know what is. Please don’t run for govt.

You genuinely think everyone is entitled to the most cutting edge, multi-million dollar treatments? Cost to society be damned? You genuinely think 85 year old gma with panc cancer mets is entitled to that multi-million dollar brand new trial treatment and 2 month hospital stay? If they can’t pay for it themselves then absolutely not. Sorry.

Are you a Republican ( I'm serious)?

No.

I’m done with this conversation. No one is making a compelling argument and we’ve now switched to throwing out #privilege out as a rebuttal.

 

[detritus]

NIH research subsidizes pharma companies to the tune of 10s of billions

@AnatomyGrey12

Isn’t this a compelling argument? I mean taxpayers are funding a lot of this “R&D” that pharma companies do so shouldn’t taxpayers get a say in how much these drugs cost? Yes these companies should still be able to turn a profit for actually doing the work, but they didn’t fund the work themselves. You, me, and every American that pays taxes funded a lot of the work through the NIH. Also Pharmaceutical companies are some of the most profitable companies in the US. None of us should shed a tear for them having to get drugs approved. They would sell us sugar pills for $1000 a pop if it were legal.

 

[mwsapphire]

You genuinely think everyone is entitled to the most cutting edge, multi-million dollar treatments? Cost to society be damned? You genuinely think 85 year old gma with panc cancer mets is entitled to that multi-million dollar brand new trial treatment and 2 month hospital stay? If they can’t pay for it themselves then absolutely not. Sorry.


No.

I’m done with this conversation. No one is making a compelling argument and we’ve now switched to throwing out #privilege out as a rebuttal.

I wasn't arguing! I was just curious. I stopped arguing.
Still, qaulity insulin shouldn't cost as much as it does.

 

[Futuredocplz531]

Are you a Republican ( I'm serious)?

There something wrong with this?

 

[Engrailed]

You genuinely think everyone is entitled to the most cutting edge, multi-million dollar treatments? Cost to society be damned? You genuinely think 85 year old gma with panc cancer mets is entitled to that multi-million dollar brand new trial treatment and 2 month hospital stay? If they can’t pay for it themselves then absolutely not. Sorry.


No.

I’m done with this conversation. No one is making a compelling argument and we’ve now switched to throwing out #privilege out as a rebuttal.

@AnatomyGrey12
hmmm... Actually you were the one who brought up the cost of medications (“cheap” insulin) which then became a discussion about who “deserves” what.

In fact, my posting the article was not to compare different classes of patients or treatments (better vs OK) but to CELEBRATE the fact that a MAJOR international organization has made this sort of step which sends a clear signal to the entire pharma industry as well as governments all around the world that such BASIC needs are things that we should TRY TO ENSURE equal access.

What SHOULD BE and WHAT HAPPENS in reality are two different things. We shouldn’t resign ourselves to standing by the status quo and accepting that this is the way things are and we should certainly not be pretending to be experts in healthcare economics bc let’s face it, it’s a really really complicated issue.

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

Still, qaulity insulin shouldn't cost as much as it does.

Agreed. But that is a whole different issue that involves too much government oversight through the current patent laws. The Epi-pen is another prime example of this.

bc let’s face it, it’s a really really complicated issue.

On this we agree.