by Gabriel Levitt, Vice President, PharmacyChecker.com and Sam Werbalowsky, Pharmacychecker.com | Dec 5, 2013 | Advocacy, Drug Prices, Pharmaceutical Industry
A recent blog post on Philly.com by pharmaceutical industry expert Daniel Hoffman, Ph.D., exposes the hypocrisy of pharma’s addictions to high U.S. drug prices and deceptive marketing. Dr. Hoffman asserts that because the pharmaceutical industry is doing a bad job at generating revenues with new and innovative medications, and even flailing in its “me-too” drug business model, it has shifted to “economic hypocrisy and legal sophistry” to protect and generate revenue. Its shift may also be caused by increasing use of generics and compulsory licensing (allowing generic competition in spite of current patents), as well as the flat-out uproar against high drug prices, especially in the U.S.
Dr. Hoffman used data from our “American Made; Cheaper Abroad” series to highlight the incredible price gap between domestic and foreign prices of American made drugs. A price gap should exist; there’s nothing wrong with companies setting different prices in different countries. Poorer countries pay lower prices, and richer countries pay higher prices. The problem is that drug prices are excessively high in the U.S., so much so that they are often unaffordable for tens of millions of middle class Americans. The pharmaceutical industry takes advantage of a global economy and free trade agreements to keep manufacturing costs down and maximize patent terms. Despite reaping the rewards of globalization, the industry continues to try to prevent consumers from doing so, as exemplified by its efforts to stop Maine’s progressive law that facilitates safe personal drug importation. The industry’s bogus safety arguments about personal drug importation failed to stop the law from passing and now the drug and U.S. pharmacy industries are turning to the courts to protect profits.
Dr. Hoffman explains other legal ploys recently used by pharma, primarily to defend against charges of deceptive marketing practices. Johnson & Johnson, claiming its rights of due process were violated, tried to invalidate a request for documents by the City of Chicago in part because the city used an outside law firm that would receive a percentage of any settlement. In other words, J&J argued that by earning a percentage of a potential settlement, the law firm’s incentive to win was too strong and thus unfair to J&J! Facing similar charges, Merck argued against the Kentucky Attorney General’s similar arrangement with an outside law firm. A judge ruled against Merck’s complaint.
To quote the author, “So pharma vigorously seeks justice from the legal system when it tries to prevent foreign countries from exercising compulsory licensing (i.e. breaking patents), while it also claims the public’s representatives shouldn’t be allowed to obtain first-rate legal counsel.” Pharma is trying to create an unfair playing field, both in the legal area and within the global economy.
Tagged with: American Made Prescriptions Are Cheaper Abroad, Daniel Hoffman, Johnson and Johnson, Merck
by PharmacyChecker.com | Nov 21, 2013 | Drug Prices, Politics
The answer is yes. Out of eleven developed countries, America is #1 when it comes to high drug prices preventing people from taking needed medications, according to a new international survey conducted by the Commonwealth Fund and reported on in Health Affairs. Twenty-one percent of American adults – over 50 million people – skipped medication due to cost, more than double the 9% who did so in Germany, the second highest rate. In the United Kingdom, only two percent of adults reported skipping medication due to drug costs.
The disturbing number of Americans forgoing prescriptions is not solely due to our large uninsured population. In fact, the Commonwealth Fund data shows that 15% of insured Americans skipped prescription medication due to costs, often because of high plan deductibles, co-payments, or co-insurance, supporting our recent analysis that those who will become insured under Obamacare may, too, find drug costs out of reach and seek affordable medication internationally. Hopefully, reforms under Obamacare, such as requiring plans to cover at least one drug in each “class” of drug and the eventual cap on out-of-pocket spending, will help Americans more easily afford their medication.
The data also shows the extent to which high drug prices affect patients with chronic conditions; skipping meds prescribed for chronic conditions, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and asthma, can lead to hospitalizations, emergency room visits, or even death. Twenty-nine percent of Americans with chronic medical conditions skipped their meds due to costs, more than double the 14% of Australians, who had the second highest rate. Only 1% of patients in the U.K. with chronic conditions skipped medication because of prices. Our conclusion? America can do better.
Tagged with: Commonwealth Fund, Health Affairs, Obamacare
by PharmacyChecker.com | Nov 13, 2013 | Drug Prices, Online Pharmacies, Personal Drug Importation
For 15 weeks, we tracked prices among U.S. and foreign pharmacies on popular drugs manufactured in in the U.S. (including Puerto Rico). Our analysis found that these medications were an average 76% less expensive from the lowest-cost PharmacyChecker.com-approved international pharmacy than a local U.S. pharmacy in New York City. Even when medications were available as generics, such as Singluair and Urocit-K, the prices for the brand name abroad were cheaper than the generic in the U.S.
Just for the record, prescription drugs manufactured under government regulation in many other countries are just as safe as those made here. Critics of international online pharmacies (mostly people connected to drug companies or big chain pharmacy interests) often mention poor foreign manufacturing practices, especially for generic drugs, outside the U.S. to scare Americans from ordering medication internationally. But so many FDA-approved drugs currently sold in U.S. pharmacies are imported – 40% according to the FDA – and many are generics. As our vice president Gabriel Levitt said, “We looked only at brand name medications manufactured in the U.S., not because they’re any safer than those made elsewhere, but because we found it so compelling that the same drugs made here are about 76% less expensive abroad.”
For more information, read our recent press release.
Average Savings Buying from an International Online Pharmacy for Brand Name Medications Manufactured in America*
| Drug |
Local U.S. Pharmacy Price |
Lowest International PharmacyChecker.com Listed Price |
Percent Savings |
| Acuvail 0.45% – 30 vials+ |
$249 |
$65 |
74% |
| Cardura XL 4 mg – 90 pills |
$285 |
$67 |
76% |
| Crestor 40 mg – 90 pills+ |
$680 |
$140 |
79% |
| Cymbalta 60 mg – 90 pills+ |
$879 |
$116 |
87% |
| Invega 6 mg – 90 pills |
$1,932 |
$580 |
70% |
| Janumet 50/500 mg – 180 pills+ |
$1,050 |
$172 |
84% |
| Lotemax 0.5% – 5 ml |
$188 |
$30 |
84% |
| Lumigan 0.03% – 2.5 ml |
$114 |
$22 |
81% |
| Pataday 0.2% – 2.5 ml |
$161 |
$34 |
79% |
| Pulmicort 0.25 mg/2ml – 60 respules |
$698 |
$117 |
83% |
| Restasis 0.05% – 60 Vials |
$394 |
$116 |
71% |
| Singulair Granules 4 mg – 90 pills+ |
$732 |
$176 |
76% |
| Strattera 25 mg – 90 caps+ |
$828 |
$311 |
63% |
| Tarceva 100 mg – 30 pills |
$6,531 |
$1,949 |
70% |
| Urocit-K 10 meq – 90 pills++ |
$146 |
$57 |
61% |
| Average Savings |
|
|
76% |
* Includes manufacturing in Puerto Rico, Local U.S. Pharmacy Prices found at a New York City Rite-Aid
+price calculated from 84 pills.
++price calculated from 100 pills.
Tagged with: American Made Prescriptions Are Cheaper Abroad
by PharmacyChecker.com | Nov 4, 2013 | Advocacy, Drug Prices, Personal Drug Importation
Last week on the Leonard Lopate Show on WNYC public radio, Elisabeth Rosenthal of the New York Times talked about the high cost of medications in America and how Americans genuinely need foreign pharmacies to afford their prescribed medication. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about five million Americans personally import medication. Many search online to do so and must avoid scams and bad pharmacies. When asked how consumers can know what they are getting online, Ms. Rosenthal said, “That’s the concern FDA has about allowing imports…So you have to be a little careful about where you buy from. There’s something called PharmacyChecker.com, which vets overseas pharmacies, which many people have told me is very useful.”
We’re very pleased that highly respected media outlets and journalists are covering the health crisis caused by drug prices, informing the public of personal drug importation’s role as a lifeline for Americans, and discussing the need for changes to U.S. laws.
Tagged with: Elisabeth Rosenthal, Leonard Lopate, New York Times, WNYC
by PharmacyChecker.com | Oct 31, 2013 | Drug Importation, Drug Prices, Online Pharmacies
The final post in our weekly series identifying prescription drugs manufactured in America and their prices.
Urocit-K (potassium citrate) is a medication used to prevent gout and kidney stones, as well as problems caused by kidney disease. Despite being made in the U.S., where it is also available as a generic, prices for Urocit-K are lower abroad than they are in U.S. pharmacies. Ninety tablets (10meq) of brand-name Urocit-K are $145.98 at a New York City Rite-Aid, and the generic is $124.08 at the same pharmacy. From an international online pharmacy, 90 tablets of Urocit-K are only $56.70. That’s a 61% savings!
There are hundreds if not thousands of medications made in America that are sold for much lower prices elsewhere. We hope this series opened a window of light for Americans who are looking for affordable medication or interested in prescription drug manufacturing and their prices.
Tagged with: American Made Prescriptions Are Cheaper Abroad, Urocit-K
by PharmacyChecker.com | Oct 25, 2013 | Drug Importation, Drug Prices, Online Pharmacies
A weekly series identifying prescription drugs manufactured in America and their prices.
Singulair 4 mg oral granules (montelukast) are used to treat asthma in pediatric patients. Brand-name Singulair is manufactured in the U.S. by Merck, but it is available for much lower prices in other countries. Brand-name Singulair from a verified international online pharmacy is even cheaper than the generic here! At a New York City pharmacy, 90 units of Singulair costs $731.99 and the generic is $458.99. From a PharmacyChecker.com approved international pharmacy, it costs only $176. That’s a 76% savings.
Tagged with: American Made Prescriptions Are Cheaper Abroad, asthma, Singulair
