The drug company that makes Epipen is under fire for charging patients more than $600. He invoked his Fifth Amendment rights and said nothing, but his smirk became internet fodder for weeks. Although the cost is lower now, $375 a pill, it’s still way above most patient’s ability to pay.
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Protesters delivered half a million petitions in boxes to Mylan’s headquarters in Southpointe labeled with their message: “Mylan, reverse the EpiPen price hikes now”.
This past month, Mylan Pharmaceuticals, the makers of the EpiPen, ratcheted up the cost of their life-saving drug to $600 for a pack of two, (it can’t be prescribed for just a single dose) and once again, the failure of our government leaders to regulate the pharmaceutical industry in their endless pursuit of profits hurts those least able to defend themselves. Because roughly 40 million Americans have severe allergies to spider bites, bee stings, and foods such as nuts, eggs and shellfish. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., as “alarming and unjustified”. and “has put lifesaving treatment out of reach for numerous consumers who need it most”.
Bresch has said the company only receives $274 of the total price for a twin-package while pharmacies and other middlemen divvy up the rest.
“My best friend and I both use EpiPens so we made a decision to split the cost and split the pack of pens”, Jocilynn Mitchell, Emporia State University student said.
For those who don’t use this medicine, it might not seem like a big deal. That’s roughly one-third the cost of the same item sold in the US. But this time, it’s even worse.
“For the last four years, my life has included obsessively checking the labels of food, turning down dinner dates at certain restaurants and checking to ensure that I had two EpiPens at all times”. The Hawaii Legislature has considered such a measure, HB 1163. State and federal budgets that pay for these drugs are under stress. None is likely to hit the US market until well into next year.
“They pay nearly zero in US taxes and show very little responsibility, obviously, with respect to customers as well”, he said.
The EpiPen price increases drew particular attention in Washington because Bresch, the daughter of Democratic Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia, had successfully pushed legislation to encourage use of the EpiPen in schools nationwide.
All while the price of EpiPens continued to increase.
Why did the Mylan execs raise the price of an old treatment sixfold? “My insurance was much better than hers, so it only cost us $100 a piece”. She was implying that in the USA the customers are required to pay the insurance premiums for their health care as well as sometimes pay for prescription medications out of their own pocket, which can be all the way up to the full retail price. It’s why gasoline, bottled water, strawberries and countless other products are available and affordable today. These programs are also not allowed to negotiate prices for medications, so if it’s covered under Medicare or Medicaid, then taxpayers fund the full costs once again. Many need several EpiPens to fit their needs. It’s the only one out there, and there is no alternative, no competition at all.
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“This sounds like good news but the details are important to know”, said Republican Senator Chuck Grassley, who wrote a letter last week to Heather Bresch, Mylan’s chief executive, requesting further information on the cause of the price spike.
