Pharmaceutical Companies

[Mickey]

I saw part of a story on 60 minutes tonight about a new epidemic of sleeping sickness, an illness that threatens to kill as many Africans as AIDS has and how there's medicine that can stop the epidemic, but the pharmaceutical companies won't help saying that they're a business, not a charity. But don't they get a lot of their research money from the government and charities? Shouldn't they be made to sell the medicine to the government at cost or donate some small percentage?

Also, should the pharmaceutical companies be allowed to give your doctor kickbacks for prescribing their drugs to you?

[angie r]

Do you have a link to the story?

[Mickey]

Originally posted by angie r
Do you have a link to the story?

I've been checking the website, but no link to the story.

I'm surprised that people aren't bothered by this. I guess I shouldn't watch 60 Minutes...all it does is get me worked up over things I can't do anything about.

[AnnW]

Mick..look at it this way..
should Tony be forced to do business with someone who will not pay him full price for his services? Also, if someone promotes and sells your product shouldn't they receive a commission?
just a different perspective

[Mickey]

Originally posted by AnnW
Mick..look at it this way..
should Tony be forced to do business with someone who will not pay him full price for his services? Also, if someone promotes and sells your product shouldn't they receive a commission?
just a different perspective

The biggest difference is that Tony's products don't save people's lives. He also doesn't get money from the government to develop his products. And he doesn't get money from charities either. If he did, I don't think it would be right for him to exploit the situation and charge exorbitant amounts for his product just because he can. And it wouldn't be right for him to totally deny people access to it. If it's a matter of life and death, there's a moral issue involved. And when tax dollars and donated money is used, that changes things, too.

And I'm all for promoting and selling a product, but again...when people's health and lives are affected, that's a different story. It's entirely too open for abuse. A doctor should prescribe the best medication for his patients and only when absolutely necessary. Not because he gets money to do so.