The drug companies are ripping us off. We, the educated American’s, always knew that the companies as a collective were taking out wallets for a ride, but what we didn’t know was how much. Doctor Marcia Angell puts the big companies as a combined total, and as individuals, under the lamp to discover that not only have they been over pricing by double the amount but really over pricing U.S citizens by 6x the amount it would cost in a European country. “breast cancer drugs cost $360 a month in this country and only $60 in Germany”(18). Even House Representative Dan Burton told New York Times “Every woman in America aught to be mad as hell at the pharmaceutical industry, you can quote me on that”(18).
While reading this book it made me so upset to compare American drug cost and European costs, after conversions. The government has a national health care stance yet, they are the leaders in allowing these prices to be set in our mixed market. The reason they allow such high prices is because they are getting paid. Every senator likes money so all the big drug companies have to do is write a check that will make the senator see eye to eye with them so they have their drugs on the shelves for the price they want. At the end of each year companies, by governments orders have to post their financial statements. If the companies are paying off government officials so that they have the bill they want passed how does no body notice that? Simple. They lie.
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