Big Pharma shells out $20B each year to schmooze docs, $6B on drug ads

https://arstechnica.com/science/2019/01/healthcare-industry-spends-30b-on-marketing-most-of-it-goes-to-doctors/

And yet we’re paying an increase on the meds to make up for their schmoozing and in America they have tv ads for the drugs as well which our increase on meds pays for those commercial ads. Just ridiculous.

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I was cleaning the medicine cabinet earlier today and oh gosh, I had a collection of medicines that I accumulated in 2018, from zoloft to valium, and meclizinine and gabapentin in between. It is INSANE.

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In UK some drugs are in such short supply, although even government ministers deny it, it won’t be long before they start a house to house collection for re-issue I suspect. At one time they would have been sent abroad to poor countries now they are destroyed but that could change. I could find a few myself, several unopened. Havent even taken the patient leaflet out. Bet medicine cupboards everywhere are the same. Helen

This is a huge problem. I have had drugs pushed on me and when I expressed concern about the affordability due to my insurance coverage I was given false information on the cost. I have also been on a medication that was supposed to go generic this year but the manufacturer sunovion paid off the generic companies to postpone their releases until 2026! I pay $1100 for a 90 day supply which I cut into thirds in order to last as long as possible. It is very disturbing watching commercials here in the US and seeing the same drug advertised every 7 minutes.

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oh my, I am sorry. The cost of these meds its just ridicoulous.

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UK operates under an entirely different system, under the NHS, but with surprisingly similar results. Prescription drugs are β€˜free’ as is treatment at point of contact. Trouble is we are now in an apparent chronic β€˜shortage’ situation which I am finding seems to be result of NHS not prepared to meet vastly increased prices drug companies are suddenly demanding resulting in bare shelves in pharmacy, and I’ve heard on radio pharmacists are now sending patients back to doctors to ask them to prescribe alternative drugs that _might _ prove easier to obtain! Hardly an idea situation and one I’m sure will impact on drug selection for many conditions. Helen

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