Health support for us seniors

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by GordMay

Even tho' generally cheaper than in the US, Canadian drug prices are still fairly high by international standards.

That hasn't been my experience. Canada is similar to the UK, and Australia, while being way less than US
https://www.drugwatch.com/featured/u...gher-vs-world/

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by GordMay

Even tho' generally cheaper than in the US, Canadian drug prices are still fairly high by international standards.

I bet it's very dependable on which drugs.

[GordMay]

According to the Government of Canada:
“Canada's drug prices are now the third highest among the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries - that is 22% above the OECD median.”
➥ https://www.canada.ca/en/health-cana...ts-prices.html

Drug cost, availability and usage is a highly complex subject, as this study illustrates.
“Paying for Prescription Drugs Around the World: Why Is the U.S. an Outlier?” ~ by Dana O. Sarnak, David Squires, and Shawn Bishop
➥ https://www.commonwealthfund.org/pub...why-us-outlier

See also:
➥ https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/canad...mprb-1.4919200

➥ Estimated cost of universal public coverage of prescription drugs in Canada | CMAJ

[Paul L]

Gord,
Most of those links you gave show Canada with a relatively high per captia drug expenditure. That is very different than the the retail cost of drugs. From a traveling cruiser point of view the retail price you have to pay for a perscription is the point. As I said before Canada, UK and Australia have been close in my experience, with the costs being in the 1/6 to 1/10 of the US price.

[taxwizz]

I live in Ontario, and I am over 65.
Prescriptions cost me CDN 4.11 for a 90 day supply.
Any medical or hospital costs are FREE.
I can see a doctor in 1 day.
Thank you Canada.

[waterman46]

Originally Posted by Paul L

I'm on one of those expensive newer drugs. It is far better than the older ones that require periodic blood tests and dosage readjustment. It costs usd$450 a month in the US at the cheapest pharmacy I can find. I just bought six months worth in Australia for usd$350. That's 350 for all 6 months, not one month. And this is without any subsidy. The US system is just broken,

We in USA pay for all the expensive research to develop new drugs for the whole world. It is obvious that all that development could not be paid for by the cheap prices you folks in other countries enjoy.

[Go Wildcats]

US companies file about 37-40% of citable documents for drug research^1. However, US citizens makes up approximately 70% of pharmaceutical profits and 27% of global income^2. It's almost as if the US healthcare system is setup to make money more than to care for the citizenry like most of the world.

Further, when profits are removed from care, the cost delta is HUGE (military.com):


Granted, the level of care is arguably lower, but from my first hand experience of the military system as a dependent and active duty as well as the private US system, I'll gladly take the military system.

References
1: https://www.quora.com/What-countries...-1995-and-2014

2:https://www.brookings.edu/research/t...al-innovation/

Originally Posted by waterman46

We in USA pay for all the expensive research to develop new drugs for the whole world. It is obvious that all that development could not be paid for by the cheap prices you folks in other countries enjoy.

[GrahamAD]

Hmm...
As a Brit, feel obliged to take (friendly) issue with Waterman46's assertion re development of drugs. What about smallpox vaccine, typhoid vaccine, antiseptics, anasthesia, cure for cholera, athsma remedies, aspirin, epilepsy treatment, nitrous oxide, viagra(!), vitamins, etc etc. And that's just a few drugs. What about circulation of the blood, surgical forceps, the clinical thermometer, lymph system, red blood cells, blood pressure measurement, environmental carcinogens, blood transfusion, stem cell transplantation, the CT scanner, MRI, IVF, EKG, hip replacement etc etc. All the above are Brit discoveries, inventions or developments, some before USA was even thought of! Trouble with us Brits is we're good at finding things out and very bad at turning them into profit. I reckon we've done our bit to feel entitled to the free treatment we enjoy.

The UK's NHS, despite all its problems, is rightly the envy of the world and a fantastic blessing to all us Brit seniors dependent on drugs or other treatment to keep going into old age.

[transmitterdan]

Most new drugs introduced these days have very limited benefit compared to existing and much cheaper drugs.

https://www.studyfinds.org/big-pharm...s-study-finds/

Many drugs are combinations of generic drugs due to US patent law that permits a new patent on combinations of long existing drugs. A patent does not require any proof of benefit over existing drugs. Once a patent issues and safety trials complete the marketing machine kicks in to create demand.

The US FDA should require a significant benefit before a new drug can replace generics. But that’s not how it works today. If it did drug prices would be much less.

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by waterman46

We in USA pay for all the expensive research to develop new drugs for the whole world. It is obvious that all that development could not be paid for by the cheap prices you folks in other countries enjoy.

In the US you pay for all the expensive marketing and over use of drugs. Drugs sold overseas are still sold at a nice profit, that can be used to pay for research or pay investors.

[AndyEss]

I've been living on my boat in Mexico for about the last two years and find it curious that the prices of some of my meds here (mostly to control high blood pressure) are the same as my deductibles at home for the same drugs. Sorta makes me wonder about all the price churning and health insurance scams - oops, I meant to say plans - we are forced to carry if we have any assets at all.
Do be careful though and stay with the larger pharmacy chains in some Central American countries. Counterfeit meds are sometimes pawned off on unsuspecting gringos at small ma and pop outlets.
First world countries often do a much better job of policing the consumer marketplace.
Caveat emptor.