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Only American pharmaceutical companies are protected from outside intervention by the U.S. government so far as I can tell. And the American consumer pays outrageous prices for prescriptions when much cheaper prices are available from other countries, even when the drugs are exactly the same.

At this point in time, I have Stage IV breast cancer. After paying a hefty insurance fee each month, plus meeting a reasonable deductible each year, I am, for the most, fully covered. But from the bills and insurance reports that flood in each month - wow! It's no wonder insurance fees are so high. And what it astounding is that it isn't hospital facilities, Cancer Center facilities or anything but medications that drive my bills sky high. I even had two major surgeries last year that cost half what the drug bills during the same time frame!

The last bill I saw for the medication required for a CT scan was a bit over $3800! That did not include the use of the equipment or the hospital charge for using their facility. Now, my insurance will make the hospital write a bunch off, usually half or more. But it's totally outrageous, even at half. And like I said, the $3800-plus was not the total bill - there were extra room charges, tech charges, etc., etc., etc. But the medication was the main expense. And this wasn't even a nuclear scan; just plain old iodine and barium charges, I'm assuming, since that's all I received.

Regular medications for things like antibiotics also are outrageous, particularly before the pharmaceutical company loses its trademark protection. An antibiotic that works for me and that I can use with my chemotherapy (we won't even talk about the cost for chemo!) cost right at $140 for a week last year. This year, with an open market, the "clone" costs $65, and probably would cost less if I could legally buy it from a Canadian drug manufacturer. An aunt with a strange medical condition takes a "new" wonder drug that costs around $25 a pill. She's on Medicare and even if she has a prescription plan, she meets that "donut" middle and ends up spending most of her income until she maxes out and the prescription plan kicks in again. She's checked, and this prescription is available from other countries. She just can't buy it legally.

Yeah! Let's get some competition going here. After paying for prescriptions, not many of us can afford to invest in U.S. pharmaceutical stock.

Learn more about this author, Margaret Shauers.
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