Just How "Good" Is Big Pharma?

The cost of drugs and pharmaceuticals in America is astronomical compared to the cost in other countries. Big Pharma companies consist of the leading pharmaceutical companies in America, and they charge outrageous prices for their drugs. A terminal patient can hardly afford the medications that these companies provide if he or she does not have insurance. Even people who do have medical coverage will notice that their providers pay bills that are as high as $100,000 per year. Big Pharma’s medications are not of a higher quality than the ones that other companies offer, so why are we buying in to their markups?

Big Pharma’s Prices vs. Canadian Drugstore Prices

Some cities have tried to escape Big Pharma’s prices by purchasing drugs from Canadian prescription referral services, such as Total Care Mart. These cities receive discounts of more than 300 percent. For example, a resident of the City of Portland purchased a heartburn medication from a Canadian prescription referral service for $200. Big Pharma companies sold the same product for more than $600. If all US residents could turn to affordable Canadian prescription referral services for drugs, they could benefit from significant savings.

The FDA and Big Pharma warn customers that they may not be receiving legitimate medications if they buy them online from Canadian prescription referral services. However, an online prescription referral service can very well be legitimate. Canadian prescription referral services which are backed by CIPA (Canadian International Pharmacy Association) and PharmacyChecker.com are safe, legitimate businesses providing significantly discounted medications. A recent study of 23 web sites certified by the Canadian International Pharmacy Association sampled 211 drugs. All 211 medications tested passed quality control tests. Results such as these leave many consumers wondering if the FDA and Big Pharma are concerned with their protection or more concerned with invading the pockets of sick people across the United States.

Americans Pay Higher Prices for Health

A 60 Minutes show and several private surveys concluded that Americans pay much more money for their medications than other countries pay for theirs. A drug that costs $200 in America will cost only a third of that amount in another country such as Switzerland. The laws in America protect such price differences. The law protects Big Pharma companies in such a way that no one can exercise free-market competition against them. Additionally, organizations such as Medicaid have to pay the price that a Big Pharma institution requests for any drug. The element that makes the modern American pharmaceutical market so sad is the escalating prices. Other countries drop prices as a medication becomes older and farther away from its creation date. The Big Pharma companies are masters at raising the prices of important pharmaceuticals no matter how old they get.

What Can America Do About the Prices?

America would have to go through a new healthcare revamp to diminish the monopoly that Big Pharma has over American pharmaceuticals. Such changes do not seem likely to occur for the duration of the current administration. The country can only hope that the next administration makes changes to Big Pharma’s agenda with special legislation. Meanwhile, cancer patients are left to fend for themselves as the prices of cancer medications soar. The government does provide medical coverage through the marketplace, but some people cannot afford even the smallest monthly premium. Such people may not qualify for Medicaid. Emergencies for those people require a visit to the local hospital. Hopefully, the situation will be better in the near future.

For now, America's best bet at safe, affordable medication is through Canadian prescription referral services, such as Total Care Mart.