Joseph R. Anticaglia, MD
Medical Advisory Board
Peggy is a 69 y/o lady who complained of an upset stomach and diarrhea. At first, she blamed it on what she ate the previous day. However, the diarrhea persisted, became more frequent and more explosive.
Her doctor diagnosed the problem as an intestinal infection caused by the bacteria Clostridium difficile. C. diff is a potentially life-threatening infection of the colon, colitis. Her doctor prescribed the antibiotic, Vancomycin.
Vancomycin is a drug which has been on the market for a long time and is still effective in certain situations. It was first sold 63 years ago, in 1954. Peggy’s daughter went to the pharmacist and was SCRIP SHOCKED. She was told that the prescription (script) would cost $1,400 for a 14 day course of this antibiotic!
“You’ve got to be kidding.”
“Sorry, I’m not.”
“What if it doesn’t work?”
“I’m really am sorry, but I’m not the doctor. I didn’t write this prescription.”
The staggering cost of drugs is spiraling out of control. According to Redonda Miller, President of the Johns Hopkins Hospital, some of the new specialty drugs used to treat cancer average $53,000 per course of treatment. “That’s more than the median income in the United States. And 90% of the newer FDA approved cancer drug treatments cost over $100,000 a year.”
But cancer is not the only condition with stunning drug prices. Evelyn, a 52 y/o high school teacher on a routine X-ray was diagnosed as having Pulmonary Interstitial Fibrosis. This is a progressive, irreversible scarring and stiffness of the lung tissue interfering with one’s ability to breathe. Her university hospital specialist said,
“The best we can offer you at this time is medication hopefully to slow down the progression of the disease.”
When she and her family inquired about the cost of the medication they were Script Shocked — $93,000.for a year’s treatment!
The rise of drug prices and in particular specialty drugs (those newer drugs used to treat conditions such as multiple sclerosis, growth deficiencies, hepatitis C and cancer) are emptying wallets, liquidating saving’s accounts, jacking up credit card debt and driving many families into bankruptcy
But older drugs have also accounted for a sharp rise in drug costs. Many will recall the mind-numbing price increase of the medication Duraprim (pyrimethamine). It was first sold in 1953 and is used to treat HIV and transplant patients. Overnight the cost of one pill took a quantum leap from $13.50 to $750.
Another instance of script shock is, EpiPen, the generic medication epinephrine which is used in emergencies to treat life threatening allergic reactions.
EpiPen was patented (hypodermic autoinjector) in 1977. It was approved for marketing by the Food and Drug Administration, FDA, 10 years later. Around 2006, two EpiPens cost about 100 dollars. When the price of two EpiPens suddenly skyrocketed to $609 both patients and hospitals expressed outrage at this price hike.
Unquestionably, some of the most significant health advances in the 20th and 21st centuries have been made by scientists in the pharmaceutical industry. Countless lives have been saved and continue to be saved because of their efforts and the industry needs to make a profit to remain in business.
However, critics maintain, the soaring increases in drug prices have negatively impacted too many families. The increases touch all specialties and involve almost all health conditions. Government and private payers are also challenged by the rising cost of medications.
The debate continues as to the reasons for high drug prices and what can be done to lower the cost of medications. More transparency regarding drug pricing and better communication among patients, government and private payers and the drug companies are initial steps in the right direction.
References
Trace y, Elizabeth; Drug Price Increases Outstrip Inflation Hopkins, May 8, 2017
Quintiles IMS; US Spending on Medications in 2016; May 4, 2017
Heather Long; CNN Money; Here’s What Happened to Aids Drug That Spiked 5,000%; August 25, 2016
This article is intended solely as a learning experience. Please consult your physician for diagnostic and treatment options.