Health care in America is a system that needs reform. As the economy grows, prices of health care are increasing at a higher rate than income. My family and I were exposed to this reality about 2 years ago after my dad got a raise and my mom started working. I was surprised that the bill for my brother’s appointment for a cold was in the $300 range. After that, my mom has become more hesitant to take my baby to the hospital. His health is no longer the number one concern. Our situation is only a fraction of the problem. Those with chronic conditions like diabetes are impacted by the increasing costs and are worried about maintaining and controlling their conditions.
The new FDA commissioner Scott Gottieb voices on the high price of prescription drugs in Dr. Zuckerman’s article. He believes that there should be more competition in the drug market. If there is more competition, then prices should statistically decrease as the many companies compete for the best price. Diana Zuckerman, a Physician also agrees with his opinion. Generic drugs have saved trillions of dollars, but she thinks that it may be a momentary solution and if the FDA is part of the inflation of prices. The price of drugs increases at a drastic rate in one year. HCL, a drug to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder has increased more than 2000% in one year (Zickerman 2017). The price of generic brands has also increased when they are supposed to be an affordable option. Thus, people that need the drug are choosing to eat at this moment rather than treat their illnesses. The “GAO reported that the price of 315 generic drugs went up by 100%” (Zuckerman 2017). The FDA’s assistance in high drug prices is when they approve drugs that already have a generic form internationally and puts a higher price on them (Zuckerman 2017). This creates competition in the market, but it had an inverse effect. Scott Gottieb supports the new law that requires the FDA to approve new drugs and devices faster (Zuckerman 2017). This has the same adverse effect; the products are of less quality because they were rushed.
Dr. Jone’s article reinforces Dr. Zuckerman’s article with a statistical approach. He looked at the change in the cost of drugs for neurologic disorders from 2004 to 2016 (Jones 2019). He mainly looked at those They looked at those with epilepsy, dementia, MS, Parkinson's Disease, and peripheral neuropathy, the cost and the amount that patients paid out-of-pocket. This is an important finding because neurological diseases are common. Dr. Jones stated that “More than 1 in 6 people experience a neurologic disorder at some time in their lives” (Jones 2019). If prices are increasing, 17% of the population is being affected It also affects the family and loved ones around the person. These conditions are also not treatable with one shot or treatment. They usually need long-term care, so it is already an expensive condition to live with.
To do this, he used the database of a large insurance company and organized the information of “73 million patients” (Jones 2019). He found that as predicted, the cost of the medicine for neurological diseases rose. Then it increased at a higher rate than inflation throughout the decade. Dr. Zuckerman’s statistics about the 3000% increase in price for the obsessive-compulsive disorder drug also follows the trend in Dr. Jones’ study. The price of neurologic disorders is known to be expensive. The effects of the increase in drug prices are the fact the patients must pay more out-of-pocket, another analogous argument with Dr. Zuckerman’s article. If they must pay for healthcare using the paychecks for regular bills, it may be another form of stress for the patients. The difference in the articles is that Dr. Zuckerman focused on the FDA’s role in the increased prices of drugs, while Dr. Jones focused on the data and the corrupt healthcare system. As Dr. Jones said, “Better systems and tools should come along with new drugs” (Jones 2019).
A present-day example is that diabetics are struggling to keep up with the increasing price of insulin, but in recent years, the lack of access goes further than drugs. In addition to that, it is also impacting the technology used for assistance in health care. Ric Peralta a 46-year-old man with type one diabetes regulated his blood sugar levels every 5 minutes using a Dexcom monitor (Smith 2019). This monitor uses non-reusable parts to accurately track the patient’s blood sugar levels (Smith 2019). Insulin is not the only thing people with diabetes are struggling to get through high prices. Diabetes requires other life-saving equipment such as Dexcom to continue living. Monitoring one’s blood sugar levels are essential to someone with diabetes. If it goes too low, the person may lose consciousness and if it becomes too high, they go into sudden seizures and lead to further complications. The insurance company must authorize the parts, then the primary provider can prescribe it to Peralta (Smith 2019). The prior authorizations are burdensome for the physicians and Peralta (Smith 2019). Thus, it restricts him from receiving the necessary supplies. Patients may become less compliant and risk their health.
The articles are relying that there is a problem in the system and that it has an immense impact on the health of the whole community. The price of drugs has increased without a decrease in deductible rates within insurance plans. Patients are also a lack of secondary resources due to all drugs having an increase in price, new and better drugs and generic versions. People should not have to choose between a meal today and a longer life span. The different sections of healthcare should work as a team and communicate efficiently to help reduce the prices of drugs. Health care providers should also be more educated about “cost information” (Jones 2019). If they’re more informed of the drugs that they are prescribing, then they can also incorporate the patient’s financial situation to optimize the service. For example, Dr. Bailey, a pharmacist told me that the University of Nebraska Medical Center has a financial counseling department that she works closely with to find solutions for the patients (Bailey 2019). One of the drugs she used that service for was insulin as the price is continuing to get higher. Jones (2019) suggested that government systems should work with pharmaceutical companies to reduce the cost of drugs. Dr. Jones found that Medicare spent more on “one drug, Namenda than it did on every payment to every neurologist in the country” in 2013 (Jones 2019). This negotiation will ultimately save money for the country and the people. Every sector, drug developers, insurance companies and pharmaceuticals should work together to reduce cost. A more upstream solution like a new policy can be placed to help with the exponentially increasing the price of drugs.
Works Cited:
Smith, Bram Sable. (2019, September 18). It's Not Just Insulin: Diabetes Patients Struggle To Get Crucial Supplies. Retrieved from https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2019/09/18/744117217/its-not-just-insulin-diabetes-patients-struggle-to-get-crucial-supplie.
Zuckerman, Diana M. (November 2017). Can the FDA Help Reduce Drug Prices or The Cost of Medical Care. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2017.304093.
Smith, Bram Sable. (2019, September 18). It's Not Just Insulin: Diabetes Patients Struggle To Get Crucial Supplies. Retrieved from https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2019/09/18/744117217/its-not-just-insulin-diabetes-patients-struggle-to-get-crucial-supplie.
Bailey, Sarah (Pharm.D), personal communication, November 20, 2019.
Image Credit: https://www.mcphs.edu/about-mcphs/news/public-health-week
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