On 9/22/2010 I picked up my subscription for Potassium Cl ER 20 MEQ at the local Costco Pharmacy. I received 30 pills and the cost was $20.53 -- 68 cents per pill. I thought the pharmacist had made a mistake because approximately a month before I received 90 pills for $9.99 -- 11 cents per pill. When questioned, the pharmacist informed me that the provider, Sandoz, had increased the price. When I expressed surprise at an increase of 618 % in one month's time, he informed me that other manufacturers stopped making the product and, lacking competition, Sandoz could charge whatever they wanted.
Obviously, Sandoz, a Novartis company, was making money on the product last month. Now they are making 618% more. Not a bad deal. If the price of a gallon of gasoline or milk (costing c. $2.50 a gallon) had a similar increase, a gallon would cost $15.45 next month. A six pack of beer (c. $7.00) would cost $43.26 next month.
And there are still people saying that the government should allow the pharmaceutical industry to do business (i.e., make money) as they see fit. This industry has proven over and over that their greed is out of control.
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