“That’s An 8500% Markup”: Doctor Goes Viral On Twitter After Sharing A Thread About How Retail Pharmacies Put A Ridiculous Markup On Medicine
We’ve all heard a thing or two about the American healthcare system. To put it simply—it’s probably not the best system in the world. People who get ill are sometimes left with huge debts, it costs hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars to call an ambulance, and they can even charge you for “skin to skin” contact when you give birth to your child. Talk about unfair!
When it comes to medicine, the situation seems even direr. Recently, Emily Porter, a doctor based in Austin, Texas, shared an infuriating Twitter thread about the cost of drugs and ridiculous markups on medicine. Scroll down below to read it!
More info: Twitter
This doctor went on Twitter to share a thread about the ridiculous markups on medicine
Image credits: dremilyportermd
The thread shared by an Austin-based MD has caused quite a stir and received more than 56k likes and over 18k retweets. A lot of people on Twitter found the thread infuriating. “Why aren’t Americans smashing [things] up over this and demanding a better system?” someone tweeted below the now-viral thread. “The worst thing is that American healthcare ideology is bleeding over the pond. There needs to be some direct action ASAP.”
Image credits: dremilyportermd
Image credits: dremilyportermd
“Retail pharmacies make an absolute killing”
Image credits: dremilyportermd
Image credits: dremilyportermd
“How frustrating to be a patient and take in a prescription only to find out it isn’t affordable”
Image credits: dremilyportermd
Image credits: dremilyportermd
“The patient is angry, the doctor is frustrated, and the pharmacist is busy”
Image credits: dremilyportermd
Image credits: dremilyportermd
Image credits: dremilyportermd
“So you’ll wait in the ER and we’ll avoid eye contact the 9 hours you’re there feeling like we’ve failed you”
Image credits: dremilyportermd
Image credits: dremilyportermd
Here’s what other people said in a viral thread
Image credits: liberalinTX
Image credits: CBW_TwHR
Image credits: jypseywheel
Image credits: OnkelMaike
Image credits: edwinhollins
Image credits: dremilyportermd
Image credits: ParagMajmudarMD
Image credits: jcovvey
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Share on FacebookThe US: We're the best country in the world! Every other country with free healthcare and gun laws: NOPE
As a Canadian I can't get on board with the idea that guns are a human right and medical care is not.
Load More Replies...It is almost. No win situation! As a former nurse, I remember paying for needed scripts for a couple of patients leaving he hospital! They couldn’t afford them, and without the antibiotics, they might have died. We had a wonderful discharge planner, and she worked to get them what they needed, but insurance companies, Medicare, and pharmaceutical companies make. Killing off their drugs, and in this money hungry process, actually kill people, because they can’t afford the drugs to save their lives... this could end by our government taking charge and making this be fo e, make the pharmacies compete for their drugs, to sell, by lowering the prices a whole bunch, and hospitals and doctors using the ones that have the best drugs at the lowest prices. No other country does this to their people. Only the USA, makes you feel unworthy and expendable , when you can’t afford your drugs to remain alive.. ie, insulin, epi pens... why do we allow them to play God?
The drug companies need to cover not just the cost of making a pill, but the sometimes decades of research that went into developing it - and to fund the research for the next great drug we all want. A lot of NZ drugs come from the US. Yet we don't pay a fortune for them as users. The problem is the US health systems - the insurance company scam and the irrational fear of 'socialism'. My mum is on chemo right now. Not paying a thing for it, nor for the 2 weeks she spent in hospital awaiting a diagnoses, or for the anti-nausea meds after chemo. Our taxes aren't crippling, yet we can provide all this for free. It's so do-able, but such a huge change for the US to make.
Load More Replies...Why does the US feel like a massive reality competition show? "Survival of the Fittest"... physically or financially...!
One of my meds is extremely expensive. For a 3-month supply of the brand name, it's $9000. The same supply of the generic is $3600. Via mail order pharmacy, the same supply is $10. The markups are 89,900% and 35,900% respectively. (And that was a generous calculation, as I credited $10 as the unit cost, and it must be much cheaper.)
America seems to be taking the worst of socialism and the worst of capitalism resulting the poorest poor being the worst hit.
In the US, socialism is only for the wealthy. The rest of us are victims of capitalism.
Load More Replies...In the UK, we pay around £8.50 per prescription, but of you're on multiple prescriptions, you can get a 'pre-pay' card, which is £30.00 for 3 months and unlimited prescriptions. It's absolutely disgraceful how pharmacies in the US are profiteering off people's health.
If you want the real story in a clear way, look up the Reader's Digest Article "Here's Why You're Probably Overpaying For Medicine". I work in the medical field and didn't know these facts. I've since printed copies for many patients. And... I now use a discount card (i.e. GoodRX) and pay cash. https://www.rd.com/article/overpaying-for-medicine/
Canadian chemo nurse here. Our entire pharmacy budget for the oral medications, most of which is zofran/ondansetron, is $30 dollars a month. We treat about 400 patients every month.
Funny ! Katie Porter is on The View, I am watching right now!! Talking about stuff! Cool!
I'm convinced that the US health care system has CAUSED thing like anti-vax. In a country where medicine costs just SO much and the pharmaceutical companies make so much profit, it's not surprising that people become suspicious of necessary but hideously over priced medicine, or being ripped off for profit. It's a short jump from there to deeper conspiracy theories about being experimented on, being made sick to be made better, and all the anti-vax stuff - all those things would lead to profit, but the average American experience is that the pharmaceutical companies are out for all they can get, and so the conspiracy theories gain traction.
I don't know why Canadians are so proud one this. We also don't have free prescription! Literally the only country with free healthcare yet we pay for prescription. Comparing ourselves with the US only makes us seem to be doing good compare ourselves with other European countries (ex Scandinavian countries) will make us better. You strive for better not just pretend we're good cause of our s**t neighbour
I have been on a daily med since 2006, it was new then and the maker still owned the patient. So it was 35 dollars a dose, at two doses a day I was looking at 70 dollars that my insurance wouldn't touch. Those were some horrible years, I was dirt poor and just getting my meds felt like the focus of my life. It has gotten better since the patient expired and generics filled the market, but its still 7 dollars a dose. Thankfully my life has improved and I have moved to a state that covers it, but I feel for all those out there struggling just to get a needed med. It really is a special kind of hell.
I agree, the USA is terrible with prescription costs. In Florida it was $79 for a 5 minute consult for my daughter, and $99 for her antibiotics. Countless visits and prescriptions, and a move back home to NZ we discover she needs grommets. $17 GP visit (now free in NZ, but not in 2009), a referral to the hospital, and surgery within the week. $17 in total. Compared to however effing much it cost in the USA to treat her recurring ear infections.
They do this by brainwashing you to think you are getting the best healthcare in the world, therefore, it should be expensive. Best in the world is most certainly not. The most expensive, yes. No one will fully understand the brainwashing that happens in the U. S unless they live here for a while. The pharmaceutical companies here are the most dangerous and corrupt companies in the world. They have complete power over the government no matter who runs it. This is capitalism at its worst.
I take that medicine and the markup on it is ridiculous! I can only get 6 pills for an entire month
Surely if any other company was doing this there'd be a law against it...
I got really sick in the US earlier in the year while on holiday. Was sickened to get basic paracetamol cost nearly £10 where at home n the UK I can pick it up for about 50p. Thought about people unable to ease a fever especially in kids and then needing medical help because of the cost of something so basic.
It's all about big business. People voted for Biden thinking we're going to get universal healthcare. But both Democrats and Republicans want healthcare to cost us tons of money. The "affordable" healthcare plan was forced on everyone. We had to buy healthcare at increased cost because it made a lot of people a lot richer. That includes politicians. To get universal healthcare, we have to get rid of the politicians.
As an Australian, I walk in with my script. “would you like the generic brand, it’s cheaper?” “Yes thanks”. “That’ll be $8.95”.
How come there are not doctors out there using their credentials to get those cheaper drugs directly from the supplier and circumvent the system? If I were a doc, I would set a thing like that. Just saying docs... create a network and have a high moral and ethical standard up to your hippocratic oath...
What's not mentioned..what type of insurance is provided to the hospital staff? It certainly isnt get hit by a bus insurance.. The cost of these plans arent absorbed as a loss..that cost gets passed along to the patient. So if we really want to talk about lowering healthcare cost..it must include the staff..their salaries/ benefits too
You do know that a lot of hospital health care workers— physical therapists, doctors, nurses, etc— are contractors who do not receive health insurance from the hospitals where they work, right? You do know that?
Load More Replies...I don't understand why there is no push back? Why is it that we have to be like sheep and except everything and not push back? We protest everything else don't we?
There is huge pushback. Vocal town hall events and demonstrations are why the Republican-controlled House and Senate did not repeal the Affordable Care Act during Trump’s first two years. Healthcare was one of the reasons the Republicans lost 40 seats in the house at the 2018 midterms.
Load More Replies...I don't know if it's just my state but all our prescriptions issued have a box the doctor checks that says 'Substitue allowed'. That and becoming friends with the pharmacy staff has saved me more than once. Also fun fact my pharmacist has saved my life. One ER doc didn't see the big red bracelet I had one with Penicillin written on it. Red bracelets are allergy bracelets. Not hating on the doc's I know they bust their asses all over the place and he's it's a corrupt system that needs ctrl+alt+del
This is why I and many others didn't get Obama Care. It was cheaper to pay the penalty than to get insurance that was useless. I've got a good immune system and I can treat minor injuries at home. If anything serious happens... I guess I'll deal with it somehow.
Okay if you want to lower the cost of healthcare lets start with labor. Make all doctors/ nurses/ emt gov employees and drastically lower their salaries,benefits, insurance,perks etc..its easy to blame big pharm..now about big hos or big nurses unions..if your serious about health care cost you also have to talk about labor cost
A generic drug I had that didn't work - went straight through - was made in the US. Fact.
Load More Replies...The US: We're the best country in the world! Every other country with free healthcare and gun laws: NOPE
As a Canadian I can't get on board with the idea that guns are a human right and medical care is not.
Load More Replies...It is almost. No win situation! As a former nurse, I remember paying for needed scripts for a couple of patients leaving he hospital! They couldn’t afford them, and without the antibiotics, they might have died. We had a wonderful discharge planner, and she worked to get them what they needed, but insurance companies, Medicare, and pharmaceutical companies make. Killing off their drugs, and in this money hungry process, actually kill people, because they can’t afford the drugs to save their lives... this could end by our government taking charge and making this be fo e, make the pharmacies compete for their drugs, to sell, by lowering the prices a whole bunch, and hospitals and doctors using the ones that have the best drugs at the lowest prices. No other country does this to their people. Only the USA, makes you feel unworthy and expendable , when you can’t afford your drugs to remain alive.. ie, insulin, epi pens... why do we allow them to play God?
The drug companies need to cover not just the cost of making a pill, but the sometimes decades of research that went into developing it - and to fund the research for the next great drug we all want. A lot of NZ drugs come from the US. Yet we don't pay a fortune for them as users. The problem is the US health systems - the insurance company scam and the irrational fear of 'socialism'. My mum is on chemo right now. Not paying a thing for it, nor for the 2 weeks she spent in hospital awaiting a diagnoses, or for the anti-nausea meds after chemo. Our taxes aren't crippling, yet we can provide all this for free. It's so do-able, but such a huge change for the US to make.
Load More Replies...Why does the US feel like a massive reality competition show? "Survival of the Fittest"... physically or financially...!
One of my meds is extremely expensive. For a 3-month supply of the brand name, it's $9000. The same supply of the generic is $3600. Via mail order pharmacy, the same supply is $10. The markups are 89,900% and 35,900% respectively. (And that was a generous calculation, as I credited $10 as the unit cost, and it must be much cheaper.)
America seems to be taking the worst of socialism and the worst of capitalism resulting the poorest poor being the worst hit.
In the US, socialism is only for the wealthy. The rest of us are victims of capitalism.
Load More Replies...In the UK, we pay around £8.50 per prescription, but of you're on multiple prescriptions, you can get a 'pre-pay' card, which is £30.00 for 3 months and unlimited prescriptions. It's absolutely disgraceful how pharmacies in the US are profiteering off people's health.
If you want the real story in a clear way, look up the Reader's Digest Article "Here's Why You're Probably Overpaying For Medicine". I work in the medical field and didn't know these facts. I've since printed copies for many patients. And... I now use a discount card (i.e. GoodRX) and pay cash. https://www.rd.com/article/overpaying-for-medicine/
Canadian chemo nurse here. Our entire pharmacy budget for the oral medications, most of which is zofran/ondansetron, is $30 dollars a month. We treat about 400 patients every month.
Funny ! Katie Porter is on The View, I am watching right now!! Talking about stuff! Cool!
I'm convinced that the US health care system has CAUSED thing like anti-vax. In a country where medicine costs just SO much and the pharmaceutical companies make so much profit, it's not surprising that people become suspicious of necessary but hideously over priced medicine, or being ripped off for profit. It's a short jump from there to deeper conspiracy theories about being experimented on, being made sick to be made better, and all the anti-vax stuff - all those things would lead to profit, but the average American experience is that the pharmaceutical companies are out for all they can get, and so the conspiracy theories gain traction.
I don't know why Canadians are so proud one this. We also don't have free prescription! Literally the only country with free healthcare yet we pay for prescription. Comparing ourselves with the US only makes us seem to be doing good compare ourselves with other European countries (ex Scandinavian countries) will make us better. You strive for better not just pretend we're good cause of our s**t neighbour
I have been on a daily med since 2006, it was new then and the maker still owned the patient. So it was 35 dollars a dose, at two doses a day I was looking at 70 dollars that my insurance wouldn't touch. Those were some horrible years, I was dirt poor and just getting my meds felt like the focus of my life. It has gotten better since the patient expired and generics filled the market, but its still 7 dollars a dose. Thankfully my life has improved and I have moved to a state that covers it, but I feel for all those out there struggling just to get a needed med. It really is a special kind of hell.
I agree, the USA is terrible with prescription costs. In Florida it was $79 for a 5 minute consult for my daughter, and $99 for her antibiotics. Countless visits and prescriptions, and a move back home to NZ we discover she needs grommets. $17 GP visit (now free in NZ, but not in 2009), a referral to the hospital, and surgery within the week. $17 in total. Compared to however effing much it cost in the USA to treat her recurring ear infections.
They do this by brainwashing you to think you are getting the best healthcare in the world, therefore, it should be expensive. Best in the world is most certainly not. The most expensive, yes. No one will fully understand the brainwashing that happens in the U. S unless they live here for a while. The pharmaceutical companies here are the most dangerous and corrupt companies in the world. They have complete power over the government no matter who runs it. This is capitalism at its worst.
I take that medicine and the markup on it is ridiculous! I can only get 6 pills for an entire month
Surely if any other company was doing this there'd be a law against it...
I got really sick in the US earlier in the year while on holiday. Was sickened to get basic paracetamol cost nearly £10 where at home n the UK I can pick it up for about 50p. Thought about people unable to ease a fever especially in kids and then needing medical help because of the cost of something so basic.
It's all about big business. People voted for Biden thinking we're going to get universal healthcare. But both Democrats and Republicans want healthcare to cost us tons of money. The "affordable" healthcare plan was forced on everyone. We had to buy healthcare at increased cost because it made a lot of people a lot richer. That includes politicians. To get universal healthcare, we have to get rid of the politicians.
As an Australian, I walk in with my script. “would you like the generic brand, it’s cheaper?” “Yes thanks”. “That’ll be $8.95”.
How come there are not doctors out there using their credentials to get those cheaper drugs directly from the supplier and circumvent the system? If I were a doc, I would set a thing like that. Just saying docs... create a network and have a high moral and ethical standard up to your hippocratic oath...
What's not mentioned..what type of insurance is provided to the hospital staff? It certainly isnt get hit by a bus insurance.. The cost of these plans arent absorbed as a loss..that cost gets passed along to the patient. So if we really want to talk about lowering healthcare cost..it must include the staff..their salaries/ benefits too
You do know that a lot of hospital health care workers— physical therapists, doctors, nurses, etc— are contractors who do not receive health insurance from the hospitals where they work, right? You do know that?
Load More Replies...I don't understand why there is no push back? Why is it that we have to be like sheep and except everything and not push back? We protest everything else don't we?
There is huge pushback. Vocal town hall events and demonstrations are why the Republican-controlled House and Senate did not repeal the Affordable Care Act during Trump’s first two years. Healthcare was one of the reasons the Republicans lost 40 seats in the house at the 2018 midterms.
Load More Replies...I don't know if it's just my state but all our prescriptions issued have a box the doctor checks that says 'Substitue allowed'. That and becoming friends with the pharmacy staff has saved me more than once. Also fun fact my pharmacist has saved my life. One ER doc didn't see the big red bracelet I had one with Penicillin written on it. Red bracelets are allergy bracelets. Not hating on the doc's I know they bust their asses all over the place and he's it's a corrupt system that needs ctrl+alt+del
This is why I and many others didn't get Obama Care. It was cheaper to pay the penalty than to get insurance that was useless. I've got a good immune system and I can treat minor injuries at home. If anything serious happens... I guess I'll deal with it somehow.
Okay if you want to lower the cost of healthcare lets start with labor. Make all doctors/ nurses/ emt gov employees and drastically lower their salaries,benefits, insurance,perks etc..its easy to blame big pharm..now about big hos or big nurses unions..if your serious about health care cost you also have to talk about labor cost
A generic drug I had that didn't work - went straight through - was made in the US. Fact.
Load More Replies...
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