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Business...Regulation? Ethics?


Commissar

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So I like to occasionally check up on how the Armed Republic of Commissary is doing over at Nation States from work - because I strongly believe in putting taxyapers' dollars to good use - and I got an interesting issue to deal with today.

 

Let's say a company manages to produce a cure for cancer or AIDS or something along those lines; should that company be allowed to set whatever price it wants for the medicine? Should the government oblige it to make it readily available for whoever needs it, at whatever rate they can afford? Should an organization such as the UN subsidize production in order to mandate necessary distribution to the afflicted?

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I would say that the company has a right to set whatever price it wants. From the company's point of view, presuming that the new drug is not prohibitively expensive to produce, it would make most sense to price it such that it is not prohibitively expensive to buy. Obviously, one can get higher profits from a high price, but there will be more users at a lower price, and a low price will improve PR. Especially for a life-saving miracle cure for cancer or AIDS, a high price is almost certainly going to lead either to people getting angry enough to organise boycotts, or people getting really, really angry and voting in a government that will nationalise them.

 

As to the government's involvement, if a government commited to nationalised healthcare is running the country, said government should probably negotiate a deal with the company to buy the drug, and distribute the drug to the people who need it most. That the government might nationalise the company if the cost is too high to buy it should encourage the company to price the drug affordably.

On the other hand, if the government is not committed to such a program, then the government should have no official involvement in the relationship between buyer and seller. However, there would be nothing wrong with people in powerful positions in government using the prominence that comes with their position to organise boycotts in their capacity as private citizens.

Hawk! Eggplant! AWAKEN!

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Setting a price on a lifesaving drug is immoral and unethical no matter how many clever bussiness arguments you make for the opposite. To let people suffer or even die because they cant pay is downright evil.

 

 

But medical companies have done it and are doing it still, theyre doing everything they can to prevent the manufacture of cheaper "knock-off" medications for sale in Africa.

 

 

I remeber, some years ago AstraZeneca made Losec, the only drug of its kind(for ulcers) and so they charged an obscene amount(around90

Edited by Kaftan Barlast

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Important: as the following sentence contains many naughty words I warn you not to read it under any circumstances; botty, knickers, wee, erogenous zone, psychiatrist, clitoris, stockings, bosom, poetry reading, dentist, fellatio and the department of agriculture.

 

"I suppose outright stupidity and complete lack of taste could also be considered points of view. "

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Setting a price on a lifesaving drug is immoral and unethical no matter how many clever bussiness arguments you make for the opposite. To let people suffer or even die because they cant pay is downright evil.

 

 

But medical companies have done it and are doing it still, theyre doing everything they can to prevent the manufacture of cheaper "knock-off" medications for sale in Africa.

 

 

I remeber, some years ago AstraZeneca made Losec, the only drug of its kind(for ulcers) and so they charged an obscene amount(around90

Fortune favors the bald.

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Setting a price on a lifesaving drug is immoral and unethical no matter how many clever bussiness arguments you make for the opposite. To let people suffer or even die because they cant pay is downright evil.

 

 

But medical companies have done it and are doing it still, theyre doing everything they can to prevent the manufacture of cheaper "knock-off" medications for sale in Africa.

 

 

I remeber, some years ago AstraZeneca made Losec, the only drug of its kind(for ulcers) and so they charged an obscene amount(around90

Edited by Commissar
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If it hasn't already happened, it would be bought/taken by the government.

Lou Gutman, P.I.- It's like I'm not even trying anymore!
http://theatomicdanger.iforumer.com/index....theatomicdanger

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Yes it's evil .. but the problem is that the company spend a hell of a lot of money developing the drug and if they didn't get anything out of it no-one would stay in the buisness of making medicine (except really nice people who would soon go bankrupt) ..

 

 

You could also make a very strong argument that medications is not something that should be developed by private corporations and controlled by the market economy. It is simply too important to gamble with.

 

 

The prime concern of the research and manufacture of medicine is to make drugs that work. As soon as you start mixing economics into it, youre over the line.

Edited by Kaftan Barlast

DISCLAIMER: Do not take what I write seriously unless it is clearly and in no uncertain terms, declared by me to be meant in a serious and non-humoristic manner. If there is no clear indication, asume the post is written in jest. This notification is meant very seriously and its purpouse is to avoid misunderstandings and the consequences thereof. Furthermore; I can not be held accountable for anything I write on these forums since the idea of taking serious responsability for my unserious actions, is an oxymoron in itself.

 

Important: as the following sentence contains many naughty words I warn you not to read it under any circumstances; botty, knickers, wee, erogenous zone, psychiatrist, clitoris, stockings, bosom, poetry reading, dentist, fellatio and the department of agriculture.

 

"I suppose outright stupidity and complete lack of taste could also be considered points of view. "

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You could also make a very strong argument that medications is not something that should be developed by private corporations and controlled by the market economy. It is simply too important to gamble with.

 

 

The prime concern of the research and manufacture of medicine is to make drugs that work. As soon as you start mixing economcics into it, youre over the line.

 

but that could be said about a myriad of things .. problem is that goverments can't finance everything .. and in a capitalistic world/system/country it's possible (and sometimes quite necessary) for private sectors to handle everything from medicine to garbage ..

Fortune favors the bald.

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They will simply have to. We've seen what happens when private companies take over state bussiness- everything and anything that isnt judged as "economicly viable" or profitable, gets dropped immediatley and with no concern of the consequences.

 

 

And thats just one example, modern aggressive economics and humane behaviour are not compatible.

 

 

Another example would be the water extortion scams being perpetrated by internationa coprorations in south america where people are suddenly forced to pay massive amounts of money for their water as the companies take over previously state-controlled waterworks.

DISCLAIMER: Do not take what I write seriously unless it is clearly and in no uncertain terms, declared by me to be meant in a serious and non-humoristic manner. If there is no clear indication, asume the post is written in jest. This notification is meant very seriously and its purpouse is to avoid misunderstandings and the consequences thereof. Furthermore; I can not be held accountable for anything I write on these forums since the idea of taking serious responsability for my unserious actions, is an oxymoron in itself.

 

Important: as the following sentence contains many naughty words I warn you not to read it under any circumstances; botty, knickers, wee, erogenous zone, psychiatrist, clitoris, stockings, bosom, poetry reading, dentist, fellatio and the department of agriculture.

 

"I suppose outright stupidity and complete lack of taste could also be considered points of view. "

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Countries like India and Brazil are already producing technically illegal generic versions of anti retro-virals for AIDS sufferers. They justify this by saying that HIVS/AIDS is a national emergency, more than merely a disease or condition that affects individuals, and in such emergencies governments do have the right to take extreme measures that violates the property rights of companies or individuals. I agree. If a company developed a cure for AIDS I doubt it would be able to stop other countries analysing and then replicating it. Charging an astronomical price wouldn't be an option.

"An electric puddle is not what I need right now." (Nina Kalenkov)

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