Yesterday I had an article submitted by a Cancer warrior. "And Sadly She Lived" was written out of frustration and anger at the current state of Cancer Care in this country. She references an article about how cancer treatment is big money and how we are sheep that pay for the privilege to live longer by paying for maintenance of a chronic condition. I think it is even worse than we think. Here is an article from USAToday. Read this small excerpt from that article:
"With the nation in the midst of a record shortage of prescription drugs — including vital medications used in everything from surgery to chemotherapy — unscrupulous marketers are stockpiling hard-to-find drugs and attempting to sell them back to hospitals at up to 50 times their normal prices, a new report says."
So given this situation where money talks and everyone else dies how is it that we can solve this problem. We have seen how hopeless it is for Congress to make any change in healthcare. Do I know the solution. Well no, unfortunately I am just a simple blogger pointing out things that are problems and in this case straight up wrong in the worse way. Why aren't we protesting this!
I have to believe that Americans can come together and find the solutions to such simple problems like gouging prices for basic life giving drugs. I have to believe that Americans (well not ALL Americans) find this practice morally and ethically offensive. Why aren't we protesting this!
Here is another article also posted on the USAToday website - Drug shortages set to reach record levels. So I guess what happens is some rogue company is buying up all the drugs that are needed to help cancer patients and waits until someone is ready to pay their price for the drugs. This is, in my opinion, worse than the drug dealer on the street corner selling crack cocaine (hey at least he is honest about what he is doing). That drug dealer is subject to supply and demand. But when you have control of the supply you can wait until the demand is high so that you can raise your price 3,100 percent. Legal Drug dealers? I ask again, Why aren't we protesting this!
This story is supposed to be on NBC Nightly News on Monday. (16th) Also, in other breaking "cancer patients are OH SO SCREWED" news..the American Cancer Society has declined a half a mil from Beyond Belief Foundation, an Atheist group, by not allowing them to be on their national roster. I don't care if you worship a frog...personal...I just care about the JOKE that cancer funding is..and it's on YOU. We, patients, don't matter...it's all about the DOLLA BILL Y'ALL. Time for eyes to open.
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