Prescription Drug Costs

Table of Contents

Introduction
Drug Prices
Patient Costs
Presidential Actions and Legislation
Drug Imports
Pros
- Pro 1: High drug costs can force people to choose between life-saving drugs and other essentials.
- Pro 2: Too many companies with too many private interests are involved in drug pricing, resulting in high prices and limited access to important drugs due to corporate greed.
- Pro 3: Without regulation, drug costs are inconsistent and often hidden, leaving doctors struggling to provide appropriate care to their patients.
Pro Quotes
Cons
- Con 1: Revenue from prescription drug sales funds research and development of new drugs.
- Con 2: Expanded access to affordable insurance that better serves customers by covering a larger percentage of prescription drug costs would more effectively lower drug costs for patients.
- Con 3: The U.S. government is already over-involved in health care and should leave prescription drugs to the free market.
Con Quotes
International Prescription Drug Costs
- Prescription Drug Spending per Person: Insurance or Government Health Program Versus Out-of-Pocket Costs, 2004–19
- Prescription Drug Spending per Person, 2004–19*
FDA-Approved Prescription Drugs Later Pulled from the Market by the FDA
- Baycol (Cerivastatin)
- Belviq, Belviq XR (Lorcaserin)
- Bextra(Valdecoxib)
- Cylert (Pemoline)
- Darvon & Darvocet (Propoxyphene)
- DBI (Phenformin)
- DES (Diethylstibestrol)
- Duract (Bromfenac)
- Ergamisol (Levamisole)
- Hismanal (Astemizole)
- Lotronex (Alosetron)
- Meridia (Sibutramine)
- Merital & Alival (Nomifensine)
- Micturin (Terodiline)
- Mylotarg (Gemtuzumab Ozogamicin)
- Omniflox (Temafloxacin)
- Palladone (Hydromorphone hydrochloride, extended-release)
- Permax (Pergolide)
- Pondimin (Fenfluramine)
- Posicor (Mibefradil)
- Propulsid (Cisapride)
- PTZ and Metrazol (Pentylenetetrazol)
- Quaalude (Methaqualone)
- Raplon (Rapacuronium)
- Raptiva (Efalizumab)
- Raxar (Grepafloxacin)
- Redux (Dexfenfluramine)
- Rezulin (Troglitazone)
- Selacryn (Tienilic acid)
- Seldane (Terfenadine)
- Trasylol (Aprotinin)
- Vioxx (Rofecoxib)
- Xigris (Drotrecogin alfa activated)
- Zantac (Ranitidine)
- Zelmid (Zimelidine)
- Zelnorm (Tegaserod maleate)
1-minute Survey
Discussion Questions
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