Approving New Drugs

This, from a good post by Felix Salmon about the FDA and cancer drug approval, hits on the main problem with our healthcare system.

Why approving new cancer drugs isn’t always a good idea | Fusion:

A very large part of the FDA’s job is to ensure not only that drugs are safe, but also that companies don’t sell dream-infused snake oil. Capitalism can be gamed: just go into business selling hugely expensive lottery tickets, and tell everybody that for every million people with cancer who buy a ticket, one or two will be cured. You’ll get a lot of takers, especially if insurance companies are forced to buy the ticket whenever a doctor writes a prescription. Only the FDA can prevent such evil business models from taking root and even flourishing.

That's it. Everyone involved in healthcare, Drug Companies, Insurance companies, Hospitals (especially Administration), Doctors, healthcare manufacturers, distributors and retailers (think knee brace, mobility scooters, homeopathy), corporate pharmacies, and even the people who need health care,   everyone, everyone, is gaming the system to grab all they can.

It's a god-damned, American-Capitalist's, greed-driven, wet dream.






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