Since other countries have price controls for prescription drugs, are we subsidizing them?

Other countries negotiate with Pharmaceutical companies so that there are limits on the amount the Pharmaceutical Companies can charge. Since we don't have such limits in our country, are pharmaceutical companies charging us more than they otherwise would if they didn't have price controls in other countries?





To put it simply, do we pay more so that they can pay less?Since other countries have price controls for prescription drugs, are we subsidizing them?
To an extent yes, but it's the price of the U.S. having the best pharmecutical research in the world





that's why our movies and other copyrights are ripped off because we have the best and they dont' have copyright laws because they have nothing of value.Since other countries have price controls for prescription drugs, are we subsidizing them?
Saving Money on Your Prescription Drugs: Good and Bad Ideas


Learn about safe and effective ways to save money: from generic medicine to mail order pharmacies.


By R. Morgan Griffin


WebMD FeatureReviewed by Brunilda Nazario, MDFeel like the bill for your prescription drugs just keeps getting higher every time you go to the pharmacy? You could be right. Since 1990, U.S. spending for prescription drugs has increased by five times. In roughly the same period of time, retail prices of medications have risen almost 8% every year -- three times higher than the rate of inflation.





If you're trying to save on your prescription drugs, you're hardly alone. The good news is that there are a lot of popular, safe, and effective ways to do it. The bad news is that there are a lot of popular, not-so-safe and not-so-effective ways, too. To help you sort the good ideas from the bad, WebMD got some advice from prescription drug experts.





Good Idea: Talk to Your Doctor About Switching to a Generic Medicine


One of the smartest ways to get cheap prescription drugs is to switch from a brand name to a generic. ';Generic drugs can offer a huge savings to patients,'; says Kevin Schulman, MD, professor of medicine and business administration at the Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C. On average, brand-name drugs are three times more expensive than generic drugs.





';Depending on the drugs you take, you could conceivably save hundreds of dollars a month by switching to generics,'; says Richard Sagall, MD, president and co-founder of NeedyMeds, a Philadelphia nonprofit that provides information about financial assistance for drugs.





There are a lot of generic options, too. ';Sixty percent of all prescriptions in the U.S. are generic,'; Schulman says. More are available all the time. ';Some of the generics we have now were brand name drugs just two or three years ago,'; Schulman tells WebMD. So when you go to the doctor next, ask if any of your high-priced prescription medicines now have a generic equivalent.





Bad Idea: Switch to an Alternative or Herbal Medication


The magazine ads and infomercials can be pretty tempting. Why not try out an ';herbal'; or ';natural'; alternative to high-priced prescription drugs? But while they might be cheaper, they might also be completely ineffective or, worse, dangerous.





';It's really confusing for people, because they just don't realize that herbal products are not regulated at all,'; says Schulman. Despite whatever claims are made in the ads, no one is testing these supplements to see if they work.





';Using one of these supplements to treat a serious medical condition could be life-threatening,'; says Schulman. Don't do it.


Good Idea: Get Higher-Dosage Pills and Split Them in Half


Some medications cost about the same, per pill, no matter what the dosage. An 80-milligram tablet of a drug might cost no more than a 40-milligram tablet. This quirky pricing gives you a big opportunity to save. Your doctor could write a prescription for double the dosage you actually need. Once you get the pills, you just split them in half with a pill cutter. And, presto, you've got two pills for the price of one -- more or less.





However, not all medications can be split safely. For instance, drugs that have special coatings or are slow-release should never be cut in half: you could wind up with side effects or a dosage that's too high. Your doctor will be very cautious in suggesting which of your pills can be cut, if any.





Bad Idea: Halve Your Dosages


This is another do-it-yourself solution to saving on prescription drug costs, and it's a really bad idea. People try to stretch out a prescription by splitting their prescribed dose in half, or taking it every other day instead of every day. Sure, they think, it's not ideal, but it saves money and gives them at least some of the drug's benefit, right?





Wrong. It might have no benefit. It might even be dangerous.





';Reducing your dose, without talking to your doctor, is really one of the worst ways to save money,'; says Schulman. ';Some medications can be life-threatening if you don't take them exactly as directed, or if you stop taking them abruptly.'; In some cases, it might be safer not to take the medicine at all than to take half the dose, says Sagall.





You should never stop taking any medication without first talking to your doctor.





Good Idea: Use a Mail Order Pharmacy for Prescription Drugs


Getting discount prescription drugs from mail order pharmacies is another good way to save money. If you have insurance, your health plan might work with a company that provides cheaper mail order prescription drugs in bulk. Other mail order pharmacies cater to the uninsured; provided you meet the income eligibility, you can get drugs at steep discounts. Mail order pharmacies save you trips to the pharmacy, and that's especially important for people who are homebound.





Bad Idea: Use an Internet Pharmacy Advertised in an Email


You have to be very cautious when it comes to Internet pharmacies, says Schulman. No matter how slick the site looks, it might be phony. Some fraudulent online pharmacies sell expired or counterfeit medicines. The FDA says you should never buy from an Internet pharmacy that is outside the U.S. or that does not require a prescription. And even if a pharmacy meets those requirements, you should still be wary.





Good Idea: Review With Your Doctor All of the Prescription Drugs That You Take


Over the years, it's easy to rack up a lot of prescriptions. That's why, every once in a while, it's important to take stock of all the medicines you take with your doctor, Schulman says. Maybe you don't need them all anymore.
Other countries have less restrictions and don't have the FDA in their pockets.
It is quite a possibility that that is happening. Recently I was in Mexico, and walked into a pharmacy looking for something for a backache for a slipped disc that I reinjured. The pharmacist recommended hydrocodone, which cost around 10 dollars for 15 or so pills. I was shocked; my co-pay in normal situations is $20 dollars on prescription medicine. When I get a bill from insurance, often I find that that $20 dollars i have paid is hardly close to a tenth of the total cost. It seems like we are paying for the rest of the world's cheap medications, and there is nothing we can do about it. Pharmaceutical companies are also fighting to stiffen the penalties of people who go to other countries seeking cheaper medicine. Its a criminal industry that America is forced to pay for so the rest of the world can get their medication without a problem, but your grandma has to sell everything she owns so she and your grandpa can get a month's supply of heart medications.
It isn't just the pharmaceutical companies........it is also the drug stores!Here in Detroit one of the local stations called around getting qoutes from different stores for the same drugs.....some where charging 2-3 times as much as others!
big pharm companies can always chose to not do business with anyone they don't want to.





but your state that other countries 'negotiate' with drug companies is the real difference - others do - we don't.
No, we just allow them to rip off us. They still make tons of profits from other countries.