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Archives | (July 2003)
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The Prescription Drug Benefit: Boon or Boondoggle? (cont.)
------------------------------------------------------------------ Page 6 of 6 Second, there should also be an incentive for physicians to “look outside the box.” Most doctors do not stop to consider whether there is a natural alternative to the pharmaceutical products they are prescribing, or whether some older product might be just as effective, or even more effective than its newer, more expensive counterpart. For instance, it is now evident that aspirin and vitamin E can be as beneficial in preventing blood clots for some individuals as drugs commonly prescribed for this purpose. Doctors should be encouraged to try these remedies first. Where blood thinner is required, recent studies have shown that Warfarin (the generic version of Coumadin) is as effective or more effective than other far more costly alternatives and has fewer side effects to boot! Third, the government should use its clout to force manufactures to offer the ACTUAL lowest price to the Medicare program, not some fictional Average Wholesale Price that is merely a way to inflate “Big Pharma’s” already bloated profits! There should also be stiff penalties for companies that attempt to manipulate pricing schedules to reap a windfall at the taxpayer’s expense. Fourth, the government should build on the Bush Administration’s just-announced reforms related to generic drugs. In limiting the number of lawsuits that can be filed to block a generic drug from entering the market and eliminating the ability to challenge generics on frivolous grounds, significant progress has been accomplished in making lower-cost drugs available to consumers. But more must be done. In particular, there should be a prohibition of “Big Pharma’s” practice of filing frivolous patents simply to keep cheaper generic drugs from competing with their brands. This would greatly increase the number of generic drugs available under any proposed benefit program. Finally, consideration should be given to lowering the “catastrophic” cap after which the program will pay the full cost of all drugs – at least for moderate-income seniors that lack some form of other prescription drug coverage. This is the group that suffers the greatest economic impact when faced with huge drug bills. They make too much money to qualify for Medicaid and can quickly see their life savings wiped out by a major illness. Many of the people in this group were small business owners or worked for companies that did not offer continuing health benefits to retirees. It is unconscionable that the nation should allow them to be impoverished merely to satisfy the rapacious greed of “Big Pharma.” If these measures were included in a Medicare prescription drug benefit plan, it could prove to be a real boon for seniors. If not, it may just turn into another Washington boondoggle. |
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