We didn't start the fire

Thalidomide came out in the late 1950's, it was created by a West German comany to aid as a seditive and decrease the symptoms of morning sickness. Later they found out that it is dangerous for women who are babies and there were over 15,000 children affected by thalidomide only 8000 lived beyond one year. For its original use, the drug was banned but later was found to help in cases of Leprosy and Multiple Melinoma (skin cancer).

Thalidamide is still used today, and I am cool with that because when it is used appropriately it is very helpful. It is currently produced by the company Celgene. Now I know what you are wondering, what is the point of this post, since I am not going to blast the use of Thalidomide?

It costs 7 cents to make one Thalidomide pill, ten years ago it sold for a few dollars a pill but now since it is making a comeback the price is $69.00 a pill. I know what your asking, has it gotten harder to make? Nope, what the company does is estimate a price it wants to make that year. The final per pill price comes from dividing what they expect to sell by what they estimate they want to make.

If I am clear I wonder if you are going to respond the same way I am, "Holy sh*t, where do they get off." However if you go to brazil to get the drug you pay much less, why? part of it is that our government is not allowed to negotiate with drug companies. Now, this is the simple of the arguement it is very think and I just heard a doctor talking about it, but I wonder, if they are doing this thing with one drug how many more.

When medical treatment of HIV came out it was also incredibly expensive but has since been lowered, and you may ask how did this happen? Well, HIV patients chained themselves to Wallstreat. The problem is with people who have leprosy and Multiple Melinoma is that they can't chain themselves anywhere.

What I see everyday is that dying is expensive. The cost to keep someone alive with no brain function for four months is astronomical. The cost to cremate a body can excede 1000 dollars, I know a place in town that will do if for 800. A casket, a vault, well once you get there we are also talking rediculous amounts of money.

We are one of the richest countries in the world yet we cannot afford to provide health care? We can't negotiatie to keep drug prices reasonable? In the end do you know who pays for all of it? We do, American tax payers. I try not to rant about politics very often but I often look at our healthcare system and just get angry. The people with the money get fixed first and best, its the American way. It is fun to blaim doctors, hospitals, and HMO's, but do we ever talk about the drug companies, who say, we will charge you what we want and you will pay it or you will die. Who knows maybe I am just mininformed.