“We should work to bring down the artificially high prices of drugs, and bring them down immediately,”
Opinion by Consumer Advocate Tim Bolen
Enough is enough… President Trump is right – Big Pharma is getting away with murder. It is time to stop it.
Anyone who watches US TV for even the shortest period of time has to notice the simple fact that Big Pharma completely controls the US media. That fact gives them monstrous power over the American people – and they use it.
The AARP says of this:
“President Trump Vows to Bring Down Prescription Drug Costs – And AARP stands ready to pressure Congress to follow his lead…
That was great to hear because this is an issue that AARP knows is critically important to all Americans, but especially to the many people over 50 who depend on prescription drugs to keep them healthy and who’ve been devastated by the price increases we’ve seen in recent years.
Drug prices are out of control. Prices of brand-name prescription drugs increased almost 130 percent faster than inflation did in 2015 alone.
Advertising drives cost increases. According to Kantar Media, the drug industry spent $5.4 billion on ads in 2015. That’s a 19 percent increase over 2014 alone.
Americans depend on their prescriptions. A recent AARP survey found that 3 of 4 adults age 50+ regularly take at least one prescription medication, and over 8 in 10 take at least two drugs. More than half of seniors take four or more drugs.
High prices put an unfair burden on older Americans. The average cost of a year’s supply of a prescription drug more than doubled since 2006 to over $11,000 in 2013. That’s about three-fourths of the average Social Security retirement benefit, or almost half the median income of people on Medicare.
High drug prices raise costs for everyone. People with health coverage will pay higher health insurance premiums and deductibles.
Taxpayers foot the bill. Higher prescription drug spending also increases costs for programs such as Medicare and Medicaid; this translates into higher taxes, cuts to public programs or both.”
But, the powerful AARP goes MUCH further.
They say:
“AARP has long supported a wide variety of policies that will help reduce prescription drug prices, and we plan to let President Trump and Congress know exactly what they can do. For example, we believe that the secretary of Health and Human Services should have the authority to negotiate lower drug prices on behalf of millions of Medicare beneficiaries. In addition, we believe that we should reduce barriers to global price competition by allowing for the safe importation of lower-priced drugs. There is no reason for Americans to continue paying the highest prescription drug prices in the world.
President Trump clearly agrees, and our plan is to work with him and with Congress to stop drug companies from overcharging seniors and all taxpayers.”
Pharma Television ads, atrocious as there are, are REALLY the source of Big Pharma’s stranglehold…
Thank God for the Mute Button.
For some reason Pharma ads seem to have people sitting in two bathtubs in almost every ad, while a monotone drones on telling us all that the product they are trying to sell will make your eyes pop out while you are walking – so they tell you not to walk…
Then, even more absurdly, just a few months later, attorney firms are advertising for clients to sue the advertiser for the huge amount of damage done to consumers.
More importantly, you will NEVER see a program, or a news story, on TV that criticizes Big Pharma. But You WILL SEE programs viciously disparaging competitors to drugs, or those critical of drugs, and vaccines.
These days, of course, Big Pharma has expanded its criticism – to include the duly elected President of the United States who DARES to want to rein them in. EVERY segment of the media where Big Pharma is the dominant advertiser engages in this process.
Surely I am NOT the only one who finds this totally absurd?
Let’s make another point.
Supposedly, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves all these drug products in a VERY complicated system. So, they should be ultra-safe, right?
Of course they are not – only a Hillary Clinton supporter would be so stupid as to believe that. To Big Pharma, the lawsuit losses are just a cost of doing business. Their income, and profits, are immense.
But, Trump has a plan to break Big Pharma’s death grip on America…
He has several options, but you can be sure that the liberal Democrats will vehemently oppose every one. Why? Because Liberal Democrats, nationwide, are (1) COMPLETELY DEPENDENT upon Big Pharma’s MASSIVE campaign contributions, and (2) Liberal Democrats NEED the mainstream media, which Big Pharma controls, to have THE APPEARANCE of acceptance of ANY of their 2017 policies.
Without mainstream media support the Democratic Party would simply disappear – it is all smoke, mirrors, and a focus on bathroom choices.
That’s why the Democrats are doing everything to stall Trump’s Cabinet appointments. They know what’s coming, and Big Pharma, you can bet, is in each of their offices SCREAMING at them to do EVERYTHING they can to stop Trump. And, of course, the liberal media has gone apeshit. It is almost fun to watch their distress… They too, know what’s coming…
What’s coming?
(1) Trump can simply, by Presidential Executive Order cancel Direct To Consumer Advertising (DTCA) of drugs. It is all part of FDA rules put in place since 1938. Trump can shut down the advertising of drugs to the American public with a pen-stroke. Only the US and New Zealand allow DTCA world-wide.
Liberal Mainstream Media would be destroyed overnight, for it is about half of their income. I like this move a lot.
(2) Trump can cancel the purchase of vaccines, from the vaccine manufacturers, by the CDC, that are distributed out to States. This would end the US vaccine program, and put vaccine manufacturers out of business.
(3) Trump can cancel the purchase of vaccines, from the vaccine manufacturers, by the CDC, that are Made-in-China, or ANYWHERE out side the US. This, also, would END the US vaccine program, and put vaccine manufacturers out of business.
(4) Trump could issue an Executive order that all federal programs would have to purchase ONLY drugs manufactured in the United States, that have gone through ALL of the inspections required. This too, would wipe out the drug industry.
(5) Trump could order MediCare and Medicaid to put their drug needs out for bid, the providing of drugs for their programs, and allow only generics to be used.
Even more…
One of Trump’s picks to head the FDA, that I am sure the liberal Democrats will get diarrhea over, is Jim O’Neill, who now works for possible gubernatorial candidate Peter Thiel in California.
O’Neill had said “We should reform FDA so there is approving drugs after their sponsors have demonstrated safety–and let people start using them, at their own risk, but not much risk of safety. Let’s prove efficacy after they’ve been legalized.”
What is important to Americans about this is that the current process FAVORS the huge drug companies, and makes it impossible for smaller innovative products to get through the testing process – which can take twelve years, and cost over 350 million dollars.
The authoritative “Conservative Review” writes in an article titled “Trump’s potential FDA pick is crazy … like a FOX” that:
“If there’s one agency that needs a shakeup more than any other, it’s the FDA. By controlling the supply of medicine and subjecting new drugs to an overly burdensome, lengthy, and costly regulatory regime, the agency literally has the power over life and death. Because a death caused by an unsafe drug is a highly visible tragedy, the agency is inherently biased towards caution, a position that seems understandable until you realize that delaying drug approvals costs lives too — just not as visibly.
O’Neill appears to recognize this, saying that he wants his priority to be speeding up the approval of drugs by focusing on safety more than on efficacy. As long as a drug is not too dangerous, let people try it and see if it works for them, rather than delaying its release for months and years to find out just how well it works.”
Why would the liberal Democrats hate this? Because their drug lord masters would not have the advantage over the small-company innovators any more. Hence, the liberal Democrat campaign cash flow would slow to a trickle – and they’d have to listen to their own constituency a little more.
Time for a laugh…
Remember where, a few minutes ago, I used the word “apeshit” to describe some of the liberal media? I had someone in mind – Stephen Colbert. I know, I know, you had to go look him up to see why that name sounded familiar. So did I.
But, Colbert, these days, has devoted his TV time to mocking our President – even more stridently than most.
The definition “apeshit” fits him to a tee when he talks about Trump.
“Apeshit – A state of anger and rage that produces behavior more closely resembling that of an enraged ape than a human.
From the habit of enraged apes of flinging their own feces at their object of anger (if you haven’t experienced this phenomenon first hand consider yourself blessed).”
Actually, none of this behavior is surprising when you trace the links. What links?
I am glad you asked.
Just below is an excerpt from WikiLeaks on this subject.
It is an email from “craig.minassian@clintonglobalinitiative.org” to “john.podesta@gmail.com.”
Minassian, in this email makes it VERY clear that the Clinton Global Initiative COMPLETELY CONTROLS Stephen Colbert.
John Podesta headed the LOSING “Hillary For President” campaign.
Stay tuned…
Opinion by Consumer Advocate Tim Bolen
You know, if americans would depend more on common cense they wouldn’t need pharma at all on a daily basis. Really give me one example of decease “cured” by pill and I will change my mind! That crap designed to “manage” symtomes!I am for using food as medicine and medicine as food!
Yeas, there are instances when you need emergency intervention and you use drugs and surgeries, no doubts.
Not daily!
Just say no to that crap! I am 67 and don’t take any of that garbage.
Great article, Tim. I wish every American would read this… a very clear explanation and easy to understand. It gives me hope that, with Donald Trump as our president, all the evil doings of big Pharma will come to an end.
On the other hand, keep us tuned into the Urban Dictionary and spare us that other stuff.
This quote from the AARP is a bit crazy: “…the many people over 50 who depend on prescription drugs to keep them healthy…”. But healthy people do not need prescription drugs! The most a drug can do is alleviate some symptom, usually with side effects that will require more and more drugs over time.
The best solution to the cost of drugs is to STOP USING THEM. With rare exception they are the wrong answer.
The fact AARP is supporting anything Trump shocks me to death! Of coarse anyone living under a rock, or depends on the real fake news knows we have a mega global financial tsunami coming this spring. Trump says military gets the big piece, people on social security should get what the anted in for by force. Big pharma and AG get hind titty!
As Bobby Dylan so eloquently puts it”These times they are a changin”! Time to go for the jugular! They aint dead yet, but there drawers are filling up very quickly!
I know who pizza boy is, but WHO is Colbert? Is he funny? Is he a spin off from the Hillbillies or something? Did he teach Jethro brain surgery?
That Colbert is linked with Skippy/John Molesta is quite interesting. I’d be willing to bet that a great many more in TV Land are controlled by these utterly evil filth.
Regarding vaccines: the fact that BigPharma has absolutely no accountability has to be one of the biggest crimes perpetrated on the American people. This whole merry-go-round has got to come to an abrupt end.
I would LOVE to see no more of Pharma’s disgusting commercials on the television (my viewing occurs when I am with the elderly lady that I care for part time 🙂 ). Ditto for the print ads….
Tim Lundeen: excellent observation that HEALTHY people do not need drugs and sick people very seldom become healthy due to drugs; the opposite is true, as you pointed out. I’ve never wanted to be a part of AARP (I am 66); they are too conventional and too drug-happy. Our health is not going to be regained or maintained by doing the things our schools, media, medical doctors, RDs, Public Health entities, or senior agencies tell us. They’re all part of the lie that is discovered by following the money in one way or another.
Diabetes is widespread in this country especially. The answer? Shove the insulin in and pretty much eat what you want–despite the fact that Type 2 diabetes is NOT due to a lack of insulin. How’s THAT for the ole bait and switch? They’re even making GMO insulin now; not only does the diabetic not need it but this throws an additional monkey wrench into the body.
BigPharma is the ultimate in job security.
President Trump has some other steps he could take to make American health care great again.
Among the proposed Executive Orders being passed around cyberspace is an EO that seeks to bring transparency to the Federal Vaccine Program. Remember, the US Govt holds over 50 vax patents, and in addition to Royalties, collects a special $.75 tax on each vaccine sold, paid for by the consumer.
The proposed draft EO can be found here: http://drrimatruthreports.com/trump-must-end-vax-mandates/