Just to ruin your day (prices for insulin and other life-critical drugs)

#1

Something called JAMA Network Open, which seems to be some kind of online journal owned by the AMA, has just published a new research article on “Trends in Prices of Popular Brand-Name Prescription Drugs in the United States” The bad-news medications include the ‘insulin analogs’ which many of us use and which cannot be easily switched, and many other important diabetes medications.

The article is free for everyone. Note that there is a downloadable pdf which many will find more convenient.

The article: Trends in Prices of Popular Brand-Name Prescription Drugs in the United States

Good luck.
M.

3 Likes
#2

Thanks a lot, MapleSugar, lol. This day was shot already because my internet keeps going out. Right back at cha’

#3

Maybe you’re lucky, considering what the news is like.

My favorite part of this whole long-running story of the generic price-fixing lawsuits is the official response of Teva, “the world’s largest generic-drug maker”:

“Teva… has not engaged in any conduct that would lead to civil or criminal liability," https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/11/health/teva-price-fixing-lawsuit.html

“We have not found evidence that would give rise to any civil or criminal liability.” https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/15/business/generic-drug-price-lawsuit-teva-mylan.html?module=inline

They don’t even claim that they haven’t fixed prices, or have done nothing wrong; they say only that they managed to slip between the precise lines of the law, and never performed those specific acts which would lead to conviction, or that they can’t find any evidence of such crimes, so it won’t be easy to convict them.

These companies may end up being found liable, but the way the way lawsuits of this sort work, it’s possible that no patient will see any benefit from them, and very likely I won’t be around by that date any more in any case.

Good luck.
M.

1 Like
#4

Ooooh, thats good stuff! Thanks

#5

I think the website isn’t working right.,I’ve tried a couple of WiFi networks and my cell phone data, but none will load…

#6

If you mean the two links to the New York Times, they’re working fine for me.