By Zane Josie
It is a sad fact of the U.S. healthcare system that prescription medication is more expensive than in almost any other developed nation. It has been estimated that, on average, prescription drugs sold in the U.S. to American consumers cost about 2.5 times more than that of the exact same drugs in other nations with advanced healthcare systems such as Canada, Australia, and the UK. To put it another way, this amounts to more than a 250% mark-up when compared to the price averaged across the Western world today.
Nevertheless, prescription drugs are not the only costs incurred by Americans where healthcare is concerned. Also significantly more expensive in America, than almost anywhere else, is the price of hospital care itself – or even the doctor’s consultation that is necessary in order to get the prescription drugs that are needed.
Explaining the Price
But why is this the case? Perhaps the blame can be laid at the door of the Americangovernment’s consistently hands-off approach to the marketing of drugs in the American market. Indeed, it is in fact the pharmaceutical companies that are given free rein to set the pricing standard. And this applies whether those companies are American or not.
Very often, the rationale given for these high prices is that the extra revenue is needed to fund research. Indeed, a great deal of this research takes place in America itself, and pharmaceutical companies typically argue that the high costs occurred within the American market is the revenue that will ultimately lead to the discovery of new important medications.
However, something doesn’t quite add up here. It has already been conclusively demonstrated, for example, that the extra revenue (when compared to other countries) that pharmaceutical companies make in the U.S. is not, in its entirety, funneled towards research. If the pharmaceutical companies were true to their word, then we would expect the extra money made to lead to research funding increases. It is not.
Driving Customers North
One of the well-known effects of this situation in America is that many Americans are turning to Canada in order to acquire the drugs they need. This is a safe, secure, and legal process that provides the same drugs for a fraction of the cost. The rise of the online Canadian pharmacy would never have been so successful were this not the case.
The Most Expensive Conditions to Treat
So what are the most expensive conditions to treat in the U.S.? Many of these are dismally common and require more than just the right medication.
Heart Conditions
That heart conditions should be so expensive to treat is a great strain on American public health, simply because one in three Americans suffer from heart disease. Around $555 Billion is forked out by the American public for treatment of this sort.
Cancer
More thanfifteen million Americans have some form of cancer at any one time. And accordingly, the American public pick up a tab for over $225.8 Billion per year. Canadian pharmacies may be there for the many drugs that are required for treatment and recovery – but the hospital treatments still cost the public heavily.
Joint Disorders
Joint disorders, expectedly, are conditions that disproportionately effect the elderly. They cost collectively around $80.8 billion.
The great benefit of Canadian online pharmacies is that they can provide safe and secure drugs to Americans for a fraction of the price. These drugs are then delivered by post. Hospital stays are sadly not something you can purchase or consume remotely. It seems likely that, until the situation in America changes, they will continue to be prohibitively expensive.
