@sneakypete You said, "He is going after drug companies because they basically have a license to steal from the public treasury,and they do. To the tune of billions per year by collection Medicaid money. They are BUSINESSES IN BUSINESS TO EARN A PROFIT,not to help you or anyone else. As long as they can sell Vicodin, for example, at an obscene profit they hold a patent on,they have no incentive to to develop a drug that works better, and you KNOW they won't create a new one that will be cheaper. That would eat into their profits."
These are my opinions:
First, Trump is going after drug companies to stop them making opioid drugs. If they stop making them, we can't get them and he thinks that would stop the problem with opioids. This is not to stop drug companies getting money.
Second, Medicaid patients need drugs, too. Medicaid doesn't just give the drug companies money for nothing.
Third, there IS a generic for Vicodin, and that is what I take, hydrocodone, the same mixture as Vicodin. Sixty hydrocodone tablets costs me $18.66 with my insurance. That is a one month supply and should have to go back to doc, see him face to face to get another month's worth. However, he gives me three prescriptions at a time. I take one to the drug company every month for three months, then have to go back to see doc face to face to get another three month's worth.
Fourth, you are exactly right about drugs with no generic. My hands broke out with Eczema three months ago, the skin flaked off and there was raw skin bleeding. Went to dermatologist, she gave me a script for a smallish tube of steroid cream. The cost was $280! With my insurance, I paid $77 for this small tube. There is no way a tube of anything costs $280. Many people could not get this cream unless they had good insurance, which I have, but $77 is still too much to pay for this tube of cream and many could not afford that - "do I get groceries or buy this cream?". The cream did work and my hands cleared up, no more raw skin bleeding (did I mention raw skin made it painful to use my hands?), but
I have to keep using it.
On my second trip to dermatologist for her to see if it was better, which it was cleared up, she gave me a card to get the cream cheaper, and that cost me $55 dollars with that card. What is it with cards we don't know about that gets us a cheaper price? Doctors have these cards to pass out when they want. I don't have to go back to dermatologist, but have to keep using this expensive cream. It is use that or have bleeding hands that really hurt.
Thanks for taking the time to write your long post.
