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| Yes | 80% | 576 votes | Total: 723 votes | |
| No | 20% | 147 votes |
Yes
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Add to FavoritesNot only should Americans be allowed to import and purchase affordable prescription drugs that are safe,from other nations; every country in the world should have this right. Drug companies are amongst the world's richest industries when it comes to making obscene profits. They prey on the fact that people who suffer from a range of illnesses become desperate, and in their desperation they are willing to pay vast sums to the drug company for the drug treatments that they are being told may keep them alive.
For many people, these drugs come at too high a price. The patient will not have the financial means to pay for these expensive wonder drugs. The drug company response shows just how highly they regard people's health, against that of the mighty dollar. The pharmaceutical company will not look at the case individually and offer a much lower price to the patient, that they can afford. Oh no! They simply move onto the next sufferer who can afford to pay the extortionate prices they are quoting. Compassion for human suffering doesn't pay the shareholders dividends, only the all important dollar can fulfil that need.
In recent years, the internet has opened up many new sources that patients can go to for cheaper prescription drugs. Many of the companies are legitimate, and offer the sick a solution when needing vital medicines to prolong their lives. Some of the companies, however, are not so safe. As with all internet industries, there is an element that preys on the sick. These unscrupulous companies will seem to be offering great drugs at bargain prices, but the drugs themselves can be deadly cocktails of a mixture of chemicals that have been put together will little or no clinical trialling taking place before going to market. So, how does one know who the genuine companies are that advertise on the internet? It seems to be a case of pay your money and take a chance!
Our governments should be assessing its citizens health needs and stopping the drug companies from charging prices that most simply cannot afford to pay. The poor people who can not pay are simply left to rot and die. Only the elite band of people wealthy enough to pay, have a greater chance of survival and are welcomed through the doors of the drug company. A much publicized reason as to why the American government does nothing about the pharmaceutical company charging policies is that many politicians are shareholders in these multi billion dollar profit making companies. Your congressman does not want to see prices reduced because this will eat into his dividend at the end of the financial year, and we are talking grotesquely high sums of money here.
For the average man or woman on the street that falls ill, I would suggest researching drug companies on the internet that are based in other countries to see if they can offer you a more affordable hope. Do not rush into buying a prescription before you have thoroughly checked out as much information as you feel you can about the company you are dealing with. When your drugs are sent to you, hope and pray that they are going to make you well again because as with all prescription drugs, there is no guarantee issued upon purchase.
Learn more about this author, Neil Dixon.
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No
It sounds appealing, the idea that U.S. citizens could obtain quality drugs at a cheaper rate. I must admit that when I first heard this idea I felt as if I would do anything to get cheaper prescription drugs that I need to have in order to live.
As a Type 1 diabetic with no insurance, my prescription drug costs run about $140 every month, and that is without the cost of test strips and needles factored in to the equation. My drug costs are still relatively low compared to some with heart problems and high blood pressure. The costs of such medications can be astronomical. I experienced this first hand when I worked as a Medicaid Specialist.
Most of my 200 clients were very poor and often disabled living off of next to no money. These people would tell me they hadn't taken medications in months because they simply couldn't afford to buy them! This situation is pitiful and I did everything I could to help these people by recommending drug assistance programs that I was familiar with.
With this being said, I still believe that purchasing drugs from another country is a bad idea as is socialized medicine. In my line of work I am constantly running into the problem of a client who is given a prescription for a drug that could really help them, but Medicare won't cover. If the U.S. chooses to let the government regulate our prescription drug use the cost may go down, but we will also sacrifice quality. We would be giving up any chance of obtaining the most innovative effective drugs because the government will only be concerned with what is cheapest. I really do not think this is in our best interest.
When I was newly diagnosed with diabetes I let my hospital doctor know that cost was a big factor. She then prescribed me some kind of cheap pig insulin that was only $16 a bottle at Walmart. I can't tell you what a roller coaster ride my life was while on this stuff. I could barely function at all trying to deal with the extreme highs and lows of my blood sugar. Once while jogging my legs nearly came out from under me because of a sudden drop in blood sugar levels.
This is just an example of how quality of life could suffer in our country. If a smart endocrinologist hadn't taken me off of that junk and put me on some higher quality insulin, there is no way I would have been able to function. So think about this before jumping on the "cheap foreign drugs," bandwagon.
Learn more about this author, Julie Bruce.
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