A large topic in the United States is the failing healthcare system, and how impossible it can be to receive proper medical attention and prescriptions without falling into debt. While the U.S is ranked in last place in a measure of health care access and quality, it results in higher rates of morality and other peer countries. Over 131 million people in the United States use prescription drugs, making the U.S. the country with the highest rate of prescription drug use. Why does the country with the highest consumption rates also have the highest markup rates of these prescription drugs?
People struggle to get health care access but even when they are able to receive access, they are hit with another blockade- The extreme markup prices of prescription drugs. Prescription drugs have become excessively high, and still continue to go up. Researchers at Harvard Medical School say that an important factor that drives prescription drug prices higher in the United States than anywhere else in the world is the nonexistence of government- protected “monopoly” rights for drug manufacturers. Without this being protected these drug manufactures keep excessively increasing these prices, and this takes place because people still need these drugs. People can’t boycott or go on strike against these companies, individuals survive off these medications. The market for prescription drugs will always be there, and the need for the manufactures will continue to rise. These manufactures do this just because they can, no one is stopping them, and they continue to make billions off poor innocent people.
January 19, 2022 Mark Cuban, a well known business icon billionaire, launched an online pharmacy as part of an ongoing effort to provide customers with low drug prices. The company known as, Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company says they “started this company as an effort to disrupt the drug industry and do our best to end ridiculous drug prices”.
How do they keep their prices so cheap people ask? The prices are the true cost to get each medication from the manufacturer to the consumer, they cut out the pharmacy middleman and negotiate directly with manufacturers to get the best possible price. Then, they show the consumer exactly how much they will pay Cost Plus to keep their business running, and to ship the prescription. Some medications such as Imatinib (Generic for Gleevec) retails for $2502.50, at Cost Plus you can get it for $17.10. Another medication Albendazole (Generic for Albenza) retails for $437.68, and at Cost Plus you can get it for $33.00.
How does Cost Plus Drugs Work?
- You find your medication online. On their website they have a list of all the medications they currently are offering.
- After finding your medication you have to ask your doctor to send your prescription to a Cost Plus pharmacy partner.
- Lastly, just sit back and wait for your medications to be delivered.
Do you have to use insurance?
No! Cost Plus Drugs does not even accept any form of insurance. Anyone can use their company to receive their prescriptions at a more discounted rate than even if you used insurance.
This company is a game changer for the drug industry, and is one step closer to achieving a better health care system. This is a way for people who don’t have access to healthcare, or insurance to make sure they keep themselves healthy and not go without taking medications necessary for them to survive. Hopefully, this will be just the beginning of taking down monopoly drug companies.
I recommend going on the Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drugs website and checking it out! It might save you and your family a lot of money by seeing if your prescription is on there!
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