Re:I accidentally discovered one of the most egregious pharm...
by ekianjo on Thursday July 28, 2022 @02:23AM
(#32261030)
> 1. The price of drugs are regulated. There is no chance such a bullshit drug just combining OTC ingredients are allowed to be sold with such a high price.
Wrong, the drug pricing in Japan is not based on the ingredients itself, it's based on what you can prove as an indication for a specific disease. Does not matter if you can mix off the shelf drugs to get the same drug. For example there are painkillers with prescriptions that contain the same drug than the OTC versions but are sold at a more expensive price.
> Since there is no bullshit expensive drugs,
You seem to have no idea what you are talking about, sorry, There are drugs that cost more than 1000 dollars per injection in Japan as well, and that are reimbursed. Oncology is full of such drugs, look at the highest pharma revenues in Japan, they are all coming from companies focusing on oncology.
> Rebate is prohibited
Rebate is happening between wholesalers and hospitals, and it's not unusual, it's the de-facto mode of operation in Japan.
> they switch to generic drugs on default unless patient strongly object not to.
Depends, if the doctor has prescribe the drug with the commercial name the pharmacist can't switch you to a generic. And generics are not equivalent to the original drug - the formulation matters, not just the active ingredient.
> The govt regulate the insurance so it's either all covered by insurance or nothing
You still have to pay out of pocket in Japan, while it&'s a fraction of the total cost (30% for regular employees, 10% for elderly people). It can still get fairly expensive if you add hospital nights and all. That's why you also have additional private insurances in Japan to get higher levels of reimbursement.
Wrong, the drug pricing in Japan is not based on the ingredients itself, it's based on what you can prove as an indication for a specific disease. Does not matter if you can mix off the shelf drugs to get the same drug. For example there are painkillers with prescriptions that contain the same drug than the OTC versions but are sold at a more expensive price.
> Since there is no bullshit expensive drugs,
You seem to have no idea what you are talking about, sorry, There are drugs that cost more than 1000 dollars per injection in Japan as well, and that are reimbursed. Oncology is full of such drugs, look at the highest pharma revenues in Japan, they are all coming from companies focusing on oncology.
> Rebate is prohibited
Rebate is happening between wholesalers and hospitals, and it's not unusual, it's the de-facto mode of operation in Japan.
> they switch to generic drugs on default unless patient strongly object not to.
Depends, if the doctor has prescribe the drug with the commercial name the pharmacist can't switch you to a generic. And generics are not equivalent to the original drug - the formulation matters, not just the active ingredient.
> The govt regulate the insurance so it's either all covered by insurance or nothing
You still have to pay out of pocket in Japan, while it&'s a fraction of the total cost (30% for regular employees, 10% for elderly people). It can still get fairly expensive if you add hospital nights and all. That's why you also have additional private insurances in Japan to get higher levels of reimbursement.