2nd Email to a friend (his note is attached at the end)
Yeah, I'd say pharmas are an easy target because they make so much money, even in times of staggering losses (like the last couple of years) in most industries. Is it really ok for them to make record profits in an industry where buying their products is literally a matter of life or death (in many cases)? That directly contradicts what I learned about a free market system, where consumers are free to "vote" with their wallets.
Now the pharmas are eating off the gravy train of Medicare reform - and have worked overtime for years to craft policy now moving through the House and the Senate. (btw, politics is a long-time passion - you didn't know? :)
Sure, it's expensive to get products to market. It is for lots of industries. Maybe their ratios are higher, but so are their margins. And wouldn't it be nice if they didn't use all that cash to lobby congress in the extreme and try to change the entire patent system to suit their profits?
I agree that we should be concentrating on prevention, but that would mean jerking the advertising privileges of pharmas to stem the tide toward, "Just give me a pill." It's like cigarette ads, the more cancer sticks are pushed, the more people smoke. It *is* a public policy issue and societal crisis when everyone wants instant gratification. But are people entirely to blame? Can the masses help that they are so easily led like sheep? Isn't that human nature? I believe strongly in individual responsibility, but I also believe the government is responsible for crafting laws and policies that improve our quality of life, not string us out to dry.
When's the last time you've seen a president push for national healthy habits? It's always "education", and then they don't provide the money to truly support our schools. They just hand down more federal regulations to crush local systems.
I also think we have a responsibility to reform healthcare, since we really have a pretty shabby system considering how much we invest in health care dollars. For instance, we have the highest maternal mortality rate in the industrialized world. We don't have the "best" system, just the most expensive.
Just my 2 cents:)
Love to see you guys! Can't believe it's been so long! What are you two doing Sunday? Want to come for dinner? Also, soccer game is on Saturday at 1:00. We could meet for lunch (after Rosh Hashanah service at 10:00) and then drive over, if youse guys are free. Gotta see C walk!!
v
-----Original Message-----
Sent: Wednesday, September 24, 2003 10:24 AM
To: Jones, Vicki
Vicki,
Just curious- why the sudden interest in politics??
Also, Pharma company's get a bad rap, cause they're an easy scape goat....I would venture to say that most americans do not know what is involved in bringing a drug to market........over 75% of drugs in Phase I trials (testing phase- size of patient base increases with each phase, so statiscally results become more relevant and representative of a mass market drug as they proceed through the final phase) do not make it to Phase II (the formula won't work or is flawed), and of those that do make it to Phase II only a small percentage of those make it to Phase III and of those that make it to Phase III only a small percetage receive FDA approval and make it to market. In short, the drug companies have to throw a whole lot of darts at the board before one sticks...and that costs money!!!...Plus once a drug finally makes it market it takes awhile before that drug becomes profitable for the company. In the meantime, the major pharma's are having to contend with generic manufacturers who legally steal the product, market it without having invested the huge upfront costs to develop it.... So for the few drugs that actually make it to market the pharma company's unfortunately have to price them to recoup their huge R&D budgets and to make a profit in a reasonable time frame...as is expected by their shareholders....... If you look at the average net profit margin of the biggest and most powerful pharma company, Pfizer, they have averaged 17.18% since 1992. Compare that to the ever affable Coca-Cola who averaged a net profit margin of 16.82% over the same time frame....would you have the same contempt for Coca-Cola?? They arguably are as profitable as the money grubbing pharma company's, so why haven't people been berating the venerable Coca-Cola?? Because healthcare is a more sensitive issue, and one that both politicians and the media can easily exploit.....The ultimate problem lies in our overall healthcare system.....its treated as a for-profit entity, which inherently will produce some level of malcontent.
Plus americans look for an easy solution to everything, but don't want to pay for it....Just give me a pill to make it all better NOW...not two minutes from now, but now...that mentality pervades all aspects of our lives....So guess what- your going to have to pay up for that convenience....Americans would be better served if they payed more attention to longer term solutions....eating properly, exercising properly, living less stress filled lives. The problem is that our culture has an in-bred sense of immediacy tainted by an element of laziness...
Just thought I'd throw a little perspective into the mix...... We need to get togather soon, haven't seen you guys in awhile...
Love ya,
SZ