Drug pricing during this time of hyper inflation

[MapleLeafFarmer]

So I figure I am going to have to sell a kidney.

My wife catches a pretty bad case of Covid-19. Not bad enough to be admitted to hospital yet but bad enough Dr. prescribes the new antiviral drug Paxlovid by Pfizer. New state of the art anti viral. 30 pills over 5 days needed.

Thinking WOW this is going to cost me at least 1 kidney as here in Canada hospital visits are basically free but we pay for our prescriptions out of pocket direct to privately owned pharmacies unless we buy health insurance for meds. I do not have insurance. Most don't.

So down to pharmacy I go. An hour later after our consult, dispensing fees, etc.... the bill comes to $13.25 !!!

WTF I say.... dispensing fees, payment to Pfizer etc... only comes to $13.25? has me re-thinking my Phizer investment I made couple of years ago.

Happily my kidney gets to stay where it is.

 

[Henro]

Unfortunately many of us live south of the border where the drug companies rule the land...

Edit: Good for you though...did not mean to sound negative...

 

[fried1765]

So I figure I am going to have to sell a kidney.

My wife catches a pretty bad case of Covid-19. Not bad enough to be admitted to hospital yet but bad enough Dr. prescribes the new antiviral drug Paxlovid by Pfizer. New state of the art anti viral. 30 pills over 5 days needed.

Thinking WOW this is going to cost me at least 1 kidney as here in Canada hospital visits are basically free but we pay for our prescriptions out of pocket direct to privately owned pharmacies unless we buy health insurance for meds. I do not have insurance. Most don't.

So down to pharmacy I go. An hour later after our consult, dispensing fees, etc.... the bill comes to $13.25 !!!

WTF I say.... dispensing fees, payment to Pfizer etc... only comes to $13.25? has me re-thinking my Phizer investment I made couple of years ago.

Happily my kidney gets to stay where it is.

View attachment 95514

As an outside observer (USA), having been a long time property owner/Summer resident of Canada (Nova Scotia) the old statement: "You get what you pay for" applies.
Canada healthcare is..."FREE"!.

Former Newfoundland premier Danny Williams went to Miami for his heart surgery.
Former BC MP Jack Leighton died (at 61) of metastasized prostate cancer, with Canada not having a single proton radiation treatment facility.
I went through proton radiation treatment for PC, 27 years ago, ( I am 82 now ) when there were only 2 USA facilities.
The USA currently has 37 proton facilities.
Canada still has no Proton treatment facilities....... each costs millions to build!

Canada does "measured healthcare", (if you can wait for it) and on the cheap.
The only good news, is that drugs are often relatively inexpensive in Canada.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

Yeah, Canada has a 'health care' problem...
too many being paid too much at the top,NOT doing what they're paid to do....
meanwhile
far too few 'front liners...' nurses,doctors, support staff, and FAMILY DOCTORS

This year we're getting 550-600,000 new immigrants...no nurses,doctors,support staff..
We NEED to demand 10% of the immigrants be in the health care field, and be the 1st to come here.
put them into the ERs and lives will be saved.....

I don't have a 'family doctor', not since 2008, have to PAY for ALL my meds , and had to PAY for 2 operations since no family doctor means no referrals to surgeons and no OHIP to pay for them.

OK ,getting down off my soap box before I break a leg or twist an ankle.....then have to spend 16 hrs in ER to be told, 'sprain, stay off it for 2 weeks'.......

 

[Mark_BX25D]

Drug pricing during this time of hyper inflation

We are NOT experiencing hyper-inflation! We are far from it.

Yes, it's bad, but hyper inflation is another animal entirely.

 

[fried1765]

Yeah, Canada has a 'health care' problem...
too many being paid too much at the top,NOT doing what they're paid to do....
meanwhile
far too few 'front liners...' nurses,doctors, support staff, and FAMILY DOCTORS

This year we're getting 550-600,000 new immigrants...no nurses,doctors,support staff..
We NEED to demand 10% of the immigrants be in the health care field, and be the 1st to come here.
put them into the ERs and lives will be saved.....

I don't have a 'family doctor', not since 2008, have to PAY for ALL my meds , and had to PAY for 2 operations since no family doctor means no referrals to surgeons and no OHIP to pay for them.

OK ,getting down off my soap box before I break a leg or twist an ankle.....then have to spend 16 hrs in ER to be told, 'sprain, stay off it for 2 weeks'.......

I have watched that system with disappointment for many years.

A Nova Scotia friend had to wait TWO months to get an MRI.
I can get one in the US in TWO days,..... and being on Medicare, it might cost me $20-$30.
If I go to the VA, maybe a week, and it is FREE!

 

[D2Cat]

That same med here in the US cost ZERO (well, no cost when you pick up the med, it's already been paid for by the tax payers).

Kind of like the vaccinations, get them out but we're not sure how safe they are so we pass legislation so no law suits can be filed against the the drug companies.

 

[jimh406]

I can't say if Canada is in hyperinflation mode. According to the definition I found, prices have to go up 50% a month. So, nothing to see then, right? Everything is fine.

Anyway, let us know how that drug works. I'm sure it's probably subsidized in Canada like most Covid 19 drugs/tests/vaccinations, etc are in the US.

Just wondering, MapleLeafFarmer, was your wife vaccinated. Feel free not to answer.

I hope she gets well soon.

 

[fried1765]

That same med here in the US cost ZERO (well, no cost when you pick up the med, it's already been paid for by the tax payers).

Kind of like the vaccinations, get them out but we're not sure how safe they are so we pass legislation so no law suits can be filed against the the drug companies.

I sure do wish that I owner Pfizer stock!

 

[MapleLeafFarmer]

I can't say if Canada is in hyperinflation mode. According to the definition I found, prices have to go up 50% a month. So, nothing to see then, right? Everything is fine.

Anyway, let us know how that drug works. I'm sure it's probably subsidized in Canada like most Covid 19 drugs/tests/vaccinations, etc are in the US.

Just wondering, MapleLeafFarmer, was your wife vaccinated. Feel free not to answer.

I hope she gets well soon.

thanks for the well wishes... appreciated

She is fully vaccinated.

In Canada media tells us 91% has had at least 1 dose and 83% fully vaccinated.
Not sure if its subsidized but I am thankful if it is. our drug bill is big enough.

There was a big push up here to make it free and easy for anyone who wanted it.
Pretty much now a non issue in the news and in the hospitals as well. i guess now here its considered same risk as common flu virus (???)
Our doctor today said that entire province has 6 cases in hospital with only 2 in ICU.... so like common flu now. He called it herd immunity.
We are tough like shoe leather..that is a little older than most, a few scuffs, with some wear and tear (underlying conditions) so we get a little more worried than a younger / healthier crowd.

cheers

 

[jyoutz]

Yeah, Canada has a 'health care' problem...
too many being paid too much at the top,NOT doing what they're paid to do....
meanwhile
far too few 'front liners...' nurses,doctors, support staff, and FAMILY DOCTORS

This year we're getting 550-600,000 new immigrants...no nurses,doctors,support staff..
We NEED to demand 10% of the immigrants be in the health care field, and be the 1st to come here.
put them into the ERs and lives will be saved.....

I don't have a 'family doctor', not since 2008, have to PAY for ALL my meds , and had to PAY for 2 operations since no family doctor means no referrals to surgeons and no OHIP to pay for them.

OK ,getting down off my soap box before I break a leg or twist an ankle.....then have to spend 16 hrs in ER to be told, 'sprain, stay off it for 2 weeks'.......

The health care worker shortage isn’t unique to Canada. Most rural areas in the US are woefully short of medical doctors and nurses. And appointments are being scheduled months away for specialists. If I’m sick and need to see someone today, I can go to an urgent care clinic and see a nurse practitioner or an online visit with my insurance sponsored physician. It seems like everywhere I’ve lived, there is a shortage of doctors. Some say the reason is the high cost of medical school. IDK, but this is becoming a crisis, especially as most western countries are experiencing an aging population.

 

[jyoutz]

thanks for the well wishes... appreciated

She is fully vaccinated.

In Canada media tells us 91% has had at least 1 dose and 83% fully vaccinated.
Not sure if its subsidized but I am thankful if it is. our drug bill is big enough.

There was a big push up here to make it free and easy for anyone who wanted it.
Pretty much now a non issue in the news and in the hospitals as well. i guess now here its considered same risk as common flu virus (???)
Our doctor today said that entire province has 6 cases in hospital with only 2 in ICU.... so like common flu now. He called it herd immunity.
We are tough like shoe leather..that is a little older than most, a few scuffs, with some wear and tear (underlying conditions) so we get a little more worried than a younger / healthier crowd.

cheers

Like most viruses, COVID is evolving to be less virulent. Flu did the same, killing many in the early 1900s, but now the virus has evolved to be easily transmissible, but not so virulent to cause many deaths.

 

[jimh406]

The vaccine mandates in the US didn't help the medical worker situation. There were plenty of people in medicine that didn't want to take the shots just like every other field.

Some will say good riddance, but the reality is if you are short on experienced people, trying to make them do something they don't want to only causes some to leave. Those who were going to do it anyway were already vaccinated.

However, my rural area has enough medical professionals for my wife and I. We are in good health and rarely see a Dr.

 

[jyoutz]

The vaccine mandates in the US didn't help the medical worker situation. There were plenty of people in medicine that didn't want to take the shots just like every other field.

Some will say good riddance, but the reality is if you are short on experienced people, trying to make them do something they don't want to only causes some to leave. Those who were going to do it anyway were already vaccinated.

However, my rural area has enough medical professionals for my wife and I. We are in good health and rarely see a Dr.

The shortage of health care workers in rural areas has been a problem for a few decades.

 

[Daren Todd]

The vaccine mandates in the US didn't help the medical worker situation. There were plenty of people in medicine that didn't want to take the shots just like every other field.

Some will say good riddance, but the reality is if you are short on experienced people, trying to make them do something they don't want to only causes some to leave. Those who were going to do it anyway were already vaccinated.

However, my rural area has enough medical professionals for my wife and I. We are in good health and rarely see a Dr.

Quite a few of the support staff (CNA's, kitchen, cleaning, ect....) could make the same amount of money or more working for Amazon, or factories, and didn't have to be vaccinated. So if they were against the mandate, they left.

 

[fried1765]

The shortage of health care workers in rural areas has been a problem for a few decades.

Like many of us here on OTT, I am well over the Medicare qualifying age.
I can use any clinic that I might choose,...... and I do have a primary care doctor.

I also feel very fortunate that the local VA hospital/outpatient is available for my needs.
They offer every service imaginable, and provide two (or more if desired) Dr. office consults each year, along with blood work twice each year as well.

X-rays, ultra sounds, etc. also, whenever appropriate.

 

[The Evil Twin]

So down to pharmacy I go. An hour later after our consult, dispensing fees, etc.... the bill comes to $13.25 !!!

WTF I say.... dispensing fees, payment to Pfizer etc... only comes to $13.25? has me re-thinking my Phizer investment I made couple of years ago.

$13.25 is what YOU pad. Not what THEY got paid

 

[DustyRusty]

I sure do wish that I owner Pfizer stock!

I get free Viagra as a bonus for being a Pfizer stock owner.

 

[Fordtech86]

I get free Viagra as a bonus for being a Pfizer stock owner.

you got stiffed on that deal

 

[fried1765]

I get free Viagra as a bonus for being a Pfizer stock owner.

This thread is about "hyper inflation", and with Pfizer, you have obviously been a significant beneficiary,..... in more ways than one!.