This report (RealAudio) on NPR's Marketplace yesterday, highlights a component of the current generic drug system that I wasn't aware of. This is another reminder that the laws in this country on pharmaceutical production and distribution favor the big guys .. not the little people.
Sick, ain’t it? I first read about it earlier this year. FamiliesUSA has a good listing and explanation of how it all works, as well as this timeline (PDF) which explains the NPR piece, as well as some other routes big Pharma takes as well.
Whoops. I guess HTML’s not allowed. Here’s the PDF:
http://www.familiesusa.org/site/DocServer/genericstimeline.pdf?docID=245
Where do the generics come from, I ask? Remember that in order to fund research and development for newer and smarter pills a profit must be made. As long as generic companies take away a Medical company’s ability to profit, the potential for finding the molecularly engineered miracles is diminished.
I own the only salt mine in the world and have found a great amount of salt. I can sell my salt as low or as high as I want and the people of the world will still buy my salt. I sell it low since salt is abundant and they will always want more. Recently, my neighbor brought in some papers showing me that within two years the salt mine will soon be his (due to some unusual real estate error)and he plans to use the mine that I discovered and worked hard to build for his profit. Obviously the price of salt will have to be increased in order to make enough money to find another salt mine. Maybe I don’t want to build another salt mine.