In the US, it's because of drug regulations. Our whole pharma is borked.

@Brokkr Enlighten me? I'm fucking retarded about this industry. I'm literally getting into it because I want to help people. Worked on a project were I got to interact with consumer/patients and changed my whole life plan

I was explaining this on another server too. Inhalers are a wonderful example. The inhaler was invented in the mid 1800s. Albuterol (trade name) was invented in the 50s.

Despite this, an inhaler out of pocket is around 200 USD.

Oh I see. That kind of corruption. I heard about that happening with epipens too

It did. Yes.

However, with Epi Pens, the price was low and went high.

There was also the malaria drug that is also used to treat HIV which Shrenki or whatever his name is decided to raise by like 1000% in price.

Another good example is IV kits and saline/lactated ringers.

Yeah that was appalling but this is on the prescription drug side. Like Pharma
Is there anything wrong with practicing physician side of medicine?

300-400 USD for a saline IV that costs less than 5 USD overall to produce.

Part of the problem is in billing.

All of which comes down to entry-barriers and the inability for entrepreneurs and pre-existing firms to exploit the pricing disparities, aka there's a lack of competition.

....and it's both hospital AND pharma issues.

And the lack of competition stems from regulation. 😉

It's an industry wide issue, Brok.

https://healthcaremba.gwu.edu/blog/chargemaster-hospital-administrators-need-know/

The chargemaster, for example, tells physicians in a hospital or a practice what they should charge.

The reality is insurance isn't even necessary.

.....people would be able to pay out of pocket if the prices were at the correct value.

Wow dude that's fucked up

Jfc

EMS doesn't have those same issues to that extent.

.....but there is still an issue of pharma charging so much for simple meds.

...and some cost more because they expire.

Do you think it's the regulations or public ignorance that allows this to continue

I'm really surprised by that. I had no idea

a) r&d costs money,
b) the rest of the world gets meds at cost, leaving the US to get milked for 100% of the r&d

....so the price goes up, because they are meds with a low shelf life and a low demand but are necessary.

R&D does cost money.

There is nothing to research on inhalers, as an example, though. That's over 200 year old tech.

low shelf life not a function of price exploitation. it's a function of chemistry/biology

Albuterol is a 60 year old med.

and 1 inhaler cost $60 cash

but the company that makes that inhaler also r&d's other drugs

In ambulance stations, certain meds are billed for more because they're rarely used and their shelf life is shorter. An albuterol inhaler is not 60 in cash.

tell that to my pharmacy

how much then?

It costs around 3 dollars to manufacture.

Maybe another dollar to ship.

okay, we talking different things with "cost"