I managed to catch David Mitchell (@DavidP4AD) after his presentation at the Healthcare Costs Innovation Summit, put on by West Health, that took place today at the Ronald Regan Building and International Trade Center in Washington DC.
David has Multiple Myeloma – an incurable drug cancer that is treatable by very expensive drugs. Drugs that cost $325,000 per year but as he puts it
Drugs don’t work if people can’t afford them
They have launched an organization: Patients for Affordable Drugs that seeks to break the monopoly pricing power of the drug corporations, change the laws to restore competitive pricing and speed generics to market. This isn’t a new problem as was pointed out at the conference
At what point do we address this problem – this headline of drug price increases of >7000% is from 1959!@shelleylyford #hcccosts pic.twitter.com/fw86gQJbyQ
— Nick van Terheyden, MD – The Incrementalist (@drnic1) April 2, 2019
His incremental Steps:
- The Government (taxpayers) need to be able to negotiate drug prices
- Full transparency on the middlemen and secret rebates of the Pharmacy Benefit Managers
- Stop the abuse of the Patent Systems
Above all get engaged and involved with the political system and stand up and demand change
As David put it in his presentation
No one should have to choose between their health or their home #quote @DavidP4AD #HCcosts pic.twitter.com/jVjhLgLpn2
— Nick van Terheyden, MD – The Incrementalist (@drnic1) April 2, 2019
