Opaque drug pricing in the U.S.

Re:Opaque drug pricing in the U.S. by mrleinad on Sunday March 12, 2017 @05:06PM (#13853121)

Let's compare costs (in billions):

(1970) Cost of proffesional services: $19.8 Prescription drugs: $5.5

(2013) Cost of proffesional services: $777.9 Prescription drugs: $271.1

% change: Cost of proffesional services: 3928% Prescription drugs: 4929%

The drugs increased in cost a lot more than proffesional services.

[1] https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/hus14.pdf#103

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Re:Opaque drug pricing in the U.S. by rayiner on Sunday March 12, 2017 @05:12PM (#13853155)

Bad comparison. The results doctors by themselves can achieve hasn't changed all that much since 1970. What drugs can do has changed completely.

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Re:Opaque drug pricing in the U.S. by areyousure on Sunday March 12, 2017 @07:42PM (#13853997)

What do you mean by "results doctors by themselves can achieve"? Do you just mean to exclude drugs?

Or are you somehow also excluding IVF, MRIs, CTs, LASIK, stents, DNA sequencing, laparoscopic surgery, newborn screening, liposuction, and transplants?

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Re:Opaque drug pricing in the U.S. by mrleinad on Monday March 13, 2017 @12:19AM (#13855206)

That's right. New procedures are part of what professionals do, and knowing which one to apply each time is their trade. You can't buy that in a bottle.

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