What are generics drugs? Well, in the pharmaceutical world generics have a popularity of being the cheaper version of brand named drugs. Generic drugs are medications that provide the consumer with the same equivalent quality of care as that of brand name drugs, at a much lower price. These drugs not only make medicine affordable but also have a low cost of production. Unlike the producer of the original brand name drug, the generic drug producer does not have to undergo comprehensive research, sacrifice billions of dollars or time investigating methods for the invention of any particular drug. Instead, after the patent of the original any drug expires, the generic producer can simply mass produce the same bioequivalent medicine and supply it to distributors at a cheaper rate while still generating profits. Although generic drugs have a significant low cost of production their market prices have recently soared to a near equivalent cost of brand named drugs and this has become a growing concern among many consumers. The effects of price spikes on generic medications have become evident through the pharmaceutical system and immediate action from the F.D.A is now required to resolve this issue.
One of the main growing concerns among consumers due to the price increase on generic medication is insurance. It is no surprise that this issue is impacting both the patient and individual pharmacies. According to the National Community Pharmacist Association, patients who are covered by Medicare and Medicaid “are declining medications due to increased co-pays” (Alexandria, NCPA). Patients who now have to pay additional money out of their pocket on premiums all the sudden are directly holding insurance companies at fault instead of the ph...
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...e profit motive pharmaceutical industries. As a result, Bloomberg economic data has proven the three big companies; Teva, Actais, and Mylan have generated an increase in revenue. These companies grew by 10 percent starting from 34 percent in 2007 to a record 44 percent last year. The rise in generic medication costs and malpractices has become a new norm in the drug industry will continue to worsen until federal regulations are strictly enforced.
The bottom line is the F.D.A should resolve the issues associated with the rise in generic medication by supporting new generic competitors and wiping out malpractices. Promoting growth and allowing more competition to produce generics has proven to be beneficial. It allows a stable market from which consumers can afford to buy generic medications. More competition is the innovative standard for the free market economy.
In some instances, the pharmaceutical industry in the United States misleads both the public and medical professionals by participating in acts of both deceptive marketing practices and bribery, and therefore does not act within the best interests of the consumers. In America today, many people are in need of medical help. In fact,the Federal Trade Commission estimates that 75% of the population complain of physical problems (Federal Trade Commission 9). They complain, for example, of fatigue, colds, headaches, and countless other "ailments." When these symptoms strike, 65% purchase over-the-counter, or OTC, drugs.
...ll help the company in selling generic drugs and provide affordable medications to its customer base.
Many businesses that achieve great success become greedy and want more. Pharmaceutical companies, such as Turing, have been overpricing life-saving
Why do consumers purchase specific drugs for various ailments, sicknesses or diseases they might have? Why do physicians prescribe certain drugs over competitive drugs that may be available to the public? Why is it that most of us can easily name specific drugs that fit the many ailments of today’s society? On the surface the answer might be as simple as good TV advertising or radio commercials or even internet adds. The truth of matter is the major pharmaceutical manufacturers own the patents on these drugs and this gives them all of the marketing budget and muscle they need to promote the drug and control the pricing. The incentives for larger pharmaceutical companies are very enticing and as a result, they don’t mind spending the time in clinical trials and patent courts to get their drugs approved. Some will even get patents on the process by which the drug is manufactured, ensuring that no competitor can steal the drug or the process. This protects their large financial investment and nearly guarantees a large return for their investors. Many consumer rights groups claim this is nothing more than legalizing monopolies for the biggest manufacturers.
It is said that name-brand prescription drugs in Canada cost approximately 40% less than they do in America. But it is illegal for the transport of drugs from Canada to America. Why? It is because Pharmaceuticals are simply greedy and prey on victims that are in need of their products to survive. It makes it hard for large households on a budget to purchase drugs to keep healthy. The way pharmaceutical companies look at their clients is like this: It is a life or death situation for them so the customers have to buy it in order to survive. According to the annual Fortune 500 survey, the pharmaceutical industry, expectedly, made it at the top of the list of the most profitable. The top seven pharmaceutical companies took in more profit-money than the top seven media companies, the top seven airline companies, the top seven oil companies, and the top seven car manufacture companies. (…cost so much, CNN) The profits of pharmaceutical companies are outrageous and extreme. There are many reasons to why these companies are greedily taking advantage of customers. The number one reason is because people who are need of these prescriptions have no other choice but to purchase them.
While many low-income families obtain prescription coverage through government programs and may receive relatively generous drug benefits, those who have no prescription coverage are required to pay the full retail price charged at their pharmacies. Because the cash-paying customers are
Has anyone noticed that there seems to be a drugstore being built on every corner these days? Revco, Walgreens, and Rite Aid seem to be just a few of the drug store chains that are expanding. One has to wonder if this has anything to do with the possibility of including medicine under coverage by healthcare systems. This means that they may become part of a capitated payment system to the pharmaceutical providers. "By capitation, we mean a prospective payment to physicians or providers - either individually or as a group - of a fixed amount of money to care for each patient (Pearson, 1998)." In other words, every physician is provided a set sum of money whether they see any patients or not and every pharmacy would be given money whether they prescribe any drugs or not. Drug costs will rise.
Prescription drug prices rose three times faster than inflation in the decade between 1981 and 1991, making the pharmaceutical industry the nation's most profitable business. Prescription drugs even exceeded the rapidly rising inflation rate for all other medical services. They now represent at least 10% of all the medical costs in the United States.1
The lives of a lot of Canadians are highly dependent on the prescription drugs that they take. Pharmaceuticals have become a part of almost everyone’s day-to-day life. However, over the past thirty years or so there have been dramatic increases in both the demand for drugs and their cost. On February 28, 2013, Steve Morgan published his article entitled “Canadians Are Over-Paying for Pharmaceuticals Year After Year” in the Huffington Post. He addressed the cons of a multi-payer system and talked about how a single-payer system would be beneficial to the Canadian health care system. This paper will address the reasons for which Canadians are paying an excessive amount for pharmaceuticals. Comparisons with various countries abroad and strategies to reduce drug costs will also be discussed.
This fact validates the incentive pharmaceutical companies have to get a patent and acquire more power. Pfizer encourages R&D because of the incentives and a desire to obtain patents to receive more profit. Pfizer has to promote itself to be successful, creating a brand image that consumers will trust. If the company can advertise successfully, more consumers will purchase their products. Pfizer must also be generating products efficiently in order to save and use existing resources, while manufacturing their products at low costs to stay competitive....
There are three issues when it comes to the health care cost rising. The first is the rising cost in prescription drugs. The second area of rising cost is the increased technologies when it comes to the medical industry. The third problem is the aging population. Prescription drugs are the area of the fastest growing health care expense, and it is projected to grow at 20 to 30 percent each year over the next several years. There are many newer, more expensive drugs on the market, and the use of these prescriptions is exploding. In addition, with so much television advertising, many consumers ask their doctors for expensive, brand name drugs when there may actually be a generic drug that works just as well.
In addition to this, pharmaceutical companies can also regulate the price of the drug as they will be the only company selling that drug. However, these aspects of patents can adversely affect the generics industry. The generics industry cannot make or sell drugs that are patented but once a patent licence expires, both the generics industry and the WHO see increased benefits as drugs become more widely available around the world (i.e. developing countries) at a lower price. Here we will discuss the pros and cons of patents from the point of view of the pharmaceutical industry, the generics industry and the WHO. As we said above, patents grant exclusive rights to an invention or a process of making and invention.
PROBLEM STATEMENT Teva Pharmaceuticals, the first multinational pharmaceutical company in Israel, has become a successful global giant in the industry of generic drugs. After experiencing a long period of success and growth in the generic drug industry against some big western pharmaceuticals, the company had acquired many well known pharmaceutical companies and had achieved its goal of $1 billion. theory seemed to be in trouble in building a new strategy and vision to compete with the rapidly growing generic industry. They confronted two big issues as key hurdles in their way.
Maris, D. (2012) ‘What’s Really Driving the Pharma M&A Frenzy’, Forbes, 27 April [Online]. Available at: http://www.forbes.com/sites/davidmaris/2012/04/27/pharma-feeding-frenzy/ (Accessed at: 15 December 2013)
10. Collis, David, and Troy Smith. "Strategy in the Twenty-First Century Pharmaceutical Industry:Merck&Co. and Pfizer Inc." Harvard Business School, 2007: 8-12.