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REMDESIVIR shortage – an example of American greed!
A recent article revealed that although there has been a shortage of the antiviral drug Remdesivir in the US, leading to doctors having to make difficult decisions about who gets the drug and who doesn’t, other countries like India have no shortage at all. Why on Earth would a drug, developed in the US using our tax dollars and produced here as well be unavailable to it’s own citizens?
Money and greed.
In the US, a treatment course of remdesivir is over $2300 while in India it’s ~ $50. In some Indonesian countries, equally effective generics cost as little as $20.
Despite being one of the richest countries in the world with the most opportunity, we have the most expensive healthcare system by an order of magnitude, whilst having one of the lowest life expectancies of developed countries. Drug costs, which on average are 10x more than in other countries, are a big part of the cost problem. I have a patient who is a diabetic. It is cheaper for her to fly to Amsterdam, go to the pharmacy IN THE AIRPORT, buy her Insulin, supplies and a few other meds, and get back on a plane and fly home than it would be to get her drugs and supplies at home! With Covid and the travel restrictions, not to mention her personal risks, she is in dire straits and has not been able to get some of her much needed meds.
It’s just sad. Another example of how American countries treat their own home-grown audience is in the food industry sector. McDonalds french fries have 3 ingredients in them in Europe. Potatoes, oil, salt and on occasion some glycerine (a sweetener). In the US, McDonalds french fries have 19-21 ingredients. Preservatives, coloring agents, emulsifiers… There are many such examples. It’s infuriating. Although food dyes have been banned in most countries for decades, having been linked to ADHD and other neurological issues, American companies are still allowed to use them. Only recently, Subway removed a toxic “frothing” chemical from it’s breads.
The fact that they are allowed to continue to use these chemicals and set the price for their drugs is bad enough. The fact is that they don;t have to do it but do it because they make money. Their shareholders are happy. It’s a broken system. The only answer I have is that if everyone was more compassionate towards their neighbors and not so selfish, we’d all be in a better place. This whole pandemic would not have occurred in the first place as well.
Stay safe and be well.
AC 😎✌️🌱❤🐖🏃🏻🧘🏻♂️🌎😷