I worked as a Pediatric Nurse for nearly 50 years. In all my years of working in the healthcare field I have never seen the cost of medications as high as they are now. Some people need medications to survive. Their medications should not ever be out of reach financially. Pharmaceutical companies should not be allowed to charge these outrageous prices for medications.
My mother worked for TWA for several years. The man who invented insulin often flew on her plane. He was afraid to fly, so TWA had my mom assist him on his trips. He and his wife had my mother and another TWA staff person over for dinner one night to thank them. He shared with them that he invented insulin to save lives. He knew that there were thousands of people that needed insulin to survive. He would turn over in his grave if he knew that pharmaceutical companies were charging $750 for one vial of insulin. It’s an insult!
Two of my nieces were diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes when they were children. Thankfully, their father was a professor and had good insurance coverage to pay for the cost of their insulin pumps. Growing up they were able to be active despite their condition. They are both adults now and their Diabetes is well controlled. They both have children and got through both pregnancies without complications, which is always a concern for diabetics.
I’m retired now but I watch what happens in the healthcare field closely. Something has got to be done about these costs. I understand that companies have to charge a fee for medications to recoup their cost. However, a $10 co-pay should be all that families have to pay out of pocket. Both my husband and I have severe allergies and I carry an EPI pen. I’ve had to use mine twice. My EPI pens cost $100 and must be replaced every year when they expire—regardless of whether I use them. I’m concerned that the price is going to go up again this year. I’m a firm believer that no one should be gouged to save themselves. It seems that the CEOs of these pharmaceutical companies are not of the same belief.