Pfizer Punished for Very Bad Behavior

That is great to catch and fine a drug company, but guess who will pay in the long run? You and me.

These drug companies need to be controlled on what they can charge for their medications.

I have been outraged for a long time about the way that pharm. companys' main goal seems to be value to the investor and top company executives. A distant second is value to the customer in the products prescribed for us.
Can you show us:
1) where the money comes from for the cost of medicine (insurance, copays, taxes, etc.
2) where the money goes in the distributing medication to the consumer (cost of making the drug, cost of processing insurance, advertising, cost of making drug available, as in pharmacy costs, profits to investors, salaries and bonuses, etc. of the highest pharm. executives, cost of legal fees and settlements of lawsuits, and drug research paid for by the drug companies.

Why do we hear so little about drugs taken off the market because they do more harm than good, including raising cancer and death rates in those who take them?

I heard on NPR that this huge settlement figure represents a very very small percentage of the company's profits. So it's a lot of money, but not a great big punishing bite for Pfizer. Alas.

This is why the cost of health care is so high. Pharma gets to charge astronomical fees, and so do the hospitals...and the doctors are always the scape goats. Enough is enough.

When will Nexium go generic? It has been out there for years and I pay $165.00 for 30 pills. Disgraceful, I cannot afford it. When?

And this really surprises you? It was common knowledge in the Medical and Drug community that this was the way you did business. Doctors were always getting perks from Drug companies to prescribe their drugs to their patients. Did we ever question the free drug samples we got at the doctors office? It has often been reported in the news over the years, of drugs being prescribed for off label use and the kickbacks that Drug companies were giving were absolutely known and reported on.

Overcharging Medicare and Medicaid, NO KIDDING, Duh, what a surprise. The only surprise is that the public finally woke up to these abuses and that the government finally decided to do something about it. Ah the lure of money! Welcome to Capitalism at it's Worst. (or Best depending on which side you're on)

This is why it is so necessary to regulate the drug companies. I know, I know, the government would be the ones to do this and, well, trust in our government has never been there. We are faced with a doubled edged sword. What other options do we have?

I have always been curious wondering as to what kind of education do the heads of some companies receive to end up blatantly scamming the American people? Are there institution(s) with special "how to" courses in business, economics, teaching the opposite of ethics, pride, honor? Where do they come from? How do they get to be so devious, greedy, and have absolutely no scruples in doing harm? And, they have the ability to look people in the face and say: "hey, we haven't done anything wrong"! (If there is a course to learn this technique, I bet it's intense with many in attendance.) This species must be made of a different substance and evolve into monsters. I suppose their favorite color is green and are drawn to it like bear to honey.

We are in a big mess folks and some answers elude us still.

Does anyone know what the government is going to do with the money?

Absolutely!

They will recoup some of the vast sums of money that the taxpayers have been shelling out through Medicare, Medicaid, Tricare, etc.... The fact of the matter is that our government is by far the pharmaceutical companies' biggest customer. When these companies use dishonest practices to promote their products, we all have to pay the price with our hard earned taxes.

Shame on these companies. And shame on prescribers who allow the influence of the drug industry to affect their practice.

There are good practitioners out there who are above this influence. If you aren't sure about your provider, consider the following:

1) When you look around the exam room do you see a lot of drug logos?
2) Is your prescriber deciding your care based on what samples or coupons he/she has on hand?
3) Do you see multiple drug reps filing in and out as you wait patiently to receive care?

If that sounds all too familiar, you may want to consider seeking a more unbiased healthcare provider who is working in your best interests by practicing evidence-based and cost-effective medicine.

Nexium will not be available as a generic for some time.
Consider asking your pharmacist to recommend the names of a few cost-effective options that you can discuss with your prescriber as possible alternatives to Nexium. Your pharmacist may even be able to suggest therapies that are available over-the-counter that may be as effective for you based on your individual situation (medical history, present conditions, other medications/vitamins/supplements, etc...).

I find a certain amount of hypocrisy in that attorney's and politicians are "smoozed" routinely, but selected industries such as the pharmaceutical industry are targeted for being "smoozers".

I own a small business. Are you telling me that we can't take clients to a resturant? Are you kidding?

Maybe we should stop companies from offering discounts, after all isn't it unfair that they charge less for a service or commodity. Where does this end?

This is capitalism, you offer me a reward and I will bust my can to make life better for you. Why have the pharmaceuticals been selected as the whipping boy. They have done wonders to make life better for all. I have a mother on aricept and a father on lipitor. They might be dead now if it wasn't for these drugs. God bless Pfizer. Whether their motives are pure or not, who cares, what they do is valuable to the public or else we wouldn't be spending the money for their products. Pfizer invested $6 billion in R & D last year.

To Pat D: Please go back and read paragraph 5 of this article.

Nobody is suggesting that drug companies stop spending money on research. But wouldn't it be better if, instead of them spending money on kickbacks to doctors, they would decrease their prices to the end users? Remember, as insureds (as some of us are), even if we don't pay for our drugs directly out of our own pockets, we all as taxpayers pay for them anyway by supporting Medicare and Medicaid.

I do care about the motives of all companies that affect my pocketbook.

There are people that die due to the side effects of some drugs. Why shouldn't the leaders of the pharmaceutical companies be criminally charged for that? Why do people turn their heads from the cause of these wrongful deaths? Maybe it is because they do control so much money! Yes, some drug therapy is necessary but it seems the real purpose of the drugs has gotten lost in the lust for greed.