Comments on: OBAMA AND MCCAIN ON DRUGS http://www.healthcarebs.com/2008/02/14/obama-and-mccain-on-drug-reimportation/ Cleaning the Augean Stables of the Health Care Debate Fri, 25 Jul 2008 03:24:43 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: Matt Horn http://www.healthcarebs.com/2008/02/14/obama-and-mccain-on-drug-reimportation/#comment-40591 Matt Horn Mon, 18 Feb 2008 19:22:40 +0000 http://www.healthcarebs.com/2008/02/14/obama-and-mccain-on-drug-reimportation/#comment-40591 John, you are aware that Canada has a fixed cost arrangement for most drugs, right? John, you are aware that Canada has a fixed cost arrangement for most drugs, right?

]]> By: John Durkin http://www.healthcarebs.com/2008/02/14/obama-and-mccain-on-drug-reimportation/#comment-40483 John Durkin Mon, 18 Feb 2008 15:23:06 +0000 http://www.healthcarebs.com/2008/02/14/obama-and-mccain-on-drug-reimportation/#comment-40483 I get sick of listening to BIG PHARM whine about free market- They only want free market when it benefits them, but denying Americans to buy drugs outside the USA is trampling on capitalism. Either drug prices should be regulated by the govt if we cannot buy anywhere but the US, or let the market become completely open allowing competition and capitalism to flourish. Big Pharm's anti-capitalist ways are costing every american business dearly. Why should Big Pharm be allowed to increase the costs to the rest of the business community, indeed the entire economy, via thier abomination of capitalism. Don't ever let pharmaceutical companies ever use capitalism as an excuse to mame free market ideals. The hypocrisy of pharm companies using capitalism as a excuse to trample capitalism is so ironic it almost brings me to laughter. I know that Bush could barely contain his laughter when on a televised debate told us that he is keeping us from buying medications elsewhere to protect the citizens. His tongue was rolling around in his cheeks so fast it was obvious that even Bush doenst believe what he said and can't believe that the American people bought it. Shame on us. I get sick of listening to BIG PHARM whine about free market- They only want free market when it benefits them, but denying Americans to buy drugs outside the USA is trampling on capitalism. Either drug prices should be regulated by the govt if we cannot buy anywhere but the US, or let the market become completely open allowing competition and capitalism to flourish. Big Pharm’s anti-capitalist ways are costing every american business dearly. Why should Big Pharm be allowed to increase the costs to the rest of the business community, indeed the entire economy, via thier abomination of capitalism. Don’t ever let pharmaceutical companies ever use capitalism as an excuse to mame free market ideals. The hypocrisy of pharm companies using capitalism as a excuse to trample capitalism is so ironic it almost brings me to laughter. I know that Bush could barely contain his laughter when on a televised debate told us that he is keeping us from buying medications elsewhere to protect the citizens. His tongue was rolling around in his cheeks so fast it was obvious that even Bush doenst believe what he said and can’t believe that the American people bought it. Shame on us.

]]> By: Matt Horn http://www.healthcarebs.com/2008/02/14/obama-and-mccain-on-drug-reimportation/#comment-36940 Matt Horn Fri, 15 Feb 2008 14:15:54 +0000 http://www.healthcarebs.com/2008/02/14/obama-and-mccain-on-drug-reimportation/#comment-36940 James, you don't think the other countries would just pirate the patent on the needed drugs for the "common good?" James, you don’t think the other countries would just pirate the patent on the needed drugs for the “common good?”

]]> By: James Lansberry http://www.healthcarebs.com/2008/02/14/obama-and-mccain-on-drug-reimportation/#comment-36241 James Lansberry Thu, 14 Feb 2008 22:18:17 +0000 http://www.healthcarebs.com/2008/02/14/obama-and-mccain-on-drug-reimportation/#comment-36241 Catron: I read it. And don't agree with the assessment of the policy. I quote Nina, "Pharmaceutical manufacturers would limit or cease to sell their products to Canada." That part is certainly true. But see, that's the way the market is supposed to work. I see this as a choice that we protect free trade or we purposefully subsidize Canadian Health Care. We already purposefully subsidize other things in Canada (e.g. defense)--why would we want to make sure we do it with health care? Again, no one forces the pharma companies to sell at the fixed prices. And if Canada NHS starts failling because no one in the US will sell them drugs, how is that a bad thing for us? It will give more information to help stop the foolhardy arguments of Ezra Klein et al. Catron:

I read it. And don’t agree with the assessment of the policy.

I quote Nina, “Pharmaceutical manufacturers would limit or cease to sell their products to Canada.”

That part is certainly true.

But see, that’s the way the market is supposed to work. I see this as a choice that we protect free trade or we purposefully subsidize Canadian Health Care. We already purposefully subsidize other things in Canada (e.g. defense)–why would we want to make sure we do it with health care?

Again, no one forces the pharma companies to sell at the fixed prices. And if Canada NHS starts failling because no one in the US will sell them drugs, how is that a bad thing for us? It will give more information to help stop the foolhardy arguments of Ezra Klein et al.

]]> By: drmatt http://www.healthcarebs.com/2008/02/14/obama-and-mccain-on-drug-reimportation/#comment-36131 drmatt Thu, 14 Feb 2008 18:34:09 +0000 http://www.healthcarebs.com/2008/02/14/obama-and-mccain-on-drug-reimportation/#comment-36131 That is a very nice link, but i see no data within it to support any of the claims. That is a very nice link, but i see no data within it to support any of the claims.

]]> By: Catron http://www.healthcarebs.com/2008/02/14/obama-and-mccain-on-drug-reimportation/#comment-36116 Catron Thu, 14 Feb 2008 18:17:19 +0000 http://www.healthcarebs.com/2008/02/14/obama-and-mccain-on-drug-reimportation/#comment-36116 If you read <a href="http://www.heritage.org/Research/HealthCare/wm855.cfm" rel="nofollow">this</a>, James, it should knock the scales from your eyes. And <a href="http://www.healthcarebs.com/2007/05/14/reimportation-redux/" rel="nofollow">here's a post</a> I did some time back discussing an experiment with reimportation that failed. If you read this, James, it should knock the scales from your eyes.

And here’s a post I did some time back discussing an experiment with reimportation that failed.

]]> By: Matt Horn http://www.healthcarebs.com/2008/02/14/obama-and-mccain-on-drug-reimportation/#comment-36113 Matt Horn Thu, 14 Feb 2008 18:10:11 +0000 http://www.healthcarebs.com/2008/02/14/obama-and-mccain-on-drug-reimportation/#comment-36113 Problem is that Canada engages in price fixing with the Pharma companies. This keep their prices artificially low and keep ours artifically high. It really is the proof that "Big Pharma" really isn't all that powerful. If they didn't agree to the deflated rates, you know a state sponsored company would produce outside of their patents. I mean, it's for the children! Problem is that Canada engages in price fixing with the Pharma companies. This keep their prices artificially low and keep ours artifically high. It really is the proof that “Big Pharma” really isn’t all that powerful. If they didn’t agree to the deflated rates, you know a state sponsored company would produce outside of their patents. I mean, it’s for the children!

]]> By: James Lansberry http://www.healthcarebs.com/2008/02/14/obama-and-mccain-on-drug-reimportation/#comment-36058 James Lansberry Thu, 14 Feb 2008 16:33:11 +0000 http://www.healthcarebs.com/2008/02/14/obama-and-mccain-on-drug-reimportation/#comment-36058 This policy, though flawed, is not one that will completely subvert market forces. No one makes the pharma companies sell to Canada. If they sell to Canada at price x, why shouldn't US consumers be allowed to buy from Canada at price x+margin whether than the price here in the US? If the profits of the drug companies drop, they'll raise the price to NHS-Canada and either it won't get sold at that price (Candians no longer get that drug) or the price in Canada goes up. Either way, the market levels the issue without it. Making it illegal for me to buy something from Canada that the company sold them of their own free will at a price they took is silly. And if the drug company does that they need to count the cost, not get welfare in the form of government regulation making it illegal to buy that drug from another country. Of course eliminating the FDA might solve the problem better long term, but no presidential candidate except Ron Paul wants to do that. This policy, though flawed, is not one that will completely subvert market forces. No one makes the pharma companies sell to Canada. If they sell to Canada at price x, why shouldn’t US consumers be allowed to buy from Canada at price x+margin whether than the price here in the US?

If the profits of the drug companies drop, they’ll raise the price to NHS-Canada and either it won’t get sold at that price (Candians no longer get that drug) or the price in Canada goes up. Either way, the market levels the issue without it.

Making it illegal for me to buy something from Canada that the company sold them of their own free will at a price they took is silly. And if the drug company does that they need to count the cost, not get welfare in the form of government regulation making it illegal to buy that drug from another country.

Of course eliminating the FDA might solve the problem better long term, but no presidential candidate except Ron Paul wants to do that.

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