Germany vs US, [2 - Pharmacies]
Jul. 15th, 2022 09:42 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
izardIn the previous post, I only briefly mentioned cost. Here is an anecdote from my life, a very recent one.
Local doctor in US prescribed something. In the pharmacy, I paid $40. When I told pharmacist that the same would cost $20 in Germany, he pointed me that insurance paid another $1000, so difference with Germany is not 2x, it is 50x. But the high price in US is used to fund pharmaceutical research.
However, this particular drug was invented in Europe 40 years ago, and all patents has expired (that is why it is so cheap everywhere except US).
Oh wait! It is cheap in US too, then I found that I can buy it for $20 without prescription, just with 1/2 dosage. Prescription is only required for higher dosage, but nobody prevents me from taking 2 pills, and when I checked dosage in instruction, with my weight I don't need high dose in the first place.
Local doctor in US prescribed something. In the pharmacy, I paid $40. When I told pharmacist that the same would cost $20 in Germany, he pointed me that insurance paid another $1000, so difference with Germany is not 2x, it is 50x. But the high price in US is used to fund pharmaceutical research.
However, this particular drug was invented in Europe 40 years ago, and all patents has expired (that is why it is so cheap everywhere except US).
Oh wait! It is cheap in US too, then I found that I can buy it for $20 without prescription, just with 1/2 dosage. Prescription is only required for higher dosage, but nobody prevents me from taking 2 pills, and when I checked dosage in instruction, with my weight I don't need high dose in the first place.
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Date: 2022-07-15 05:13 pm (UTC)