The Benefits Of Prescription Drugs

Since 1965, Medicare has been attempting to provide low cost, guaranteed access to much needed healthcare for senior citizens over the age of 65 and other age groups that suffer from disabilities and terminal diseases. These people represent some of the most vulnerable population groups in the United States. Most do not work, and rely on Medicare to provide them the access to healthcare they need. Unlike privatized health insurance companies, Medicare is a social insurance program that is paid for through federal mandates and tax payer funds. Billions of dollars are spent annually on over 50 million Americans in need (Alonso-Zaldivar 1). The care structure itself is broken into several main parts: Medicare Part A covers hospital costs, Part B cover most outpatient care costs, and Part C and D cover prescription drug costs through dealing with other private insurance. Yet, the upcoming election in November is threatening to change and alter the structure. Each candidate has his own plan to deal with Medicare; both are trying to reign in the costs of operating Medicare, but with some elements being obviously more beneficial for Medicare recipients than others.

Under the existing federal Medicaid pharmacy benefit program, fee-for-service reimbursement rates for prescription drugs are based on the actual invoice cost of prescription drugs plus a reasonable professional dispensing fee. Any federal reforms to Medicaid which would allow states to set Medicaid pharmacy reimbursement rates below actual drug acquisition costs could seriously jeopardize Medicaid patient access to Medicaid drugs. Whether in a Medicaid managed care or fee-for-service setting, a Medicaid program that reimburses below actual drug costs raises a barrier that may limit or eliminate access points for patients to utilize their Medicaid drug benefits. Even with a cost-based drug reimbursement floor, Medicaid programs can fully avoid patient access barriers only through the addition of adequate dispensing fees that are more reflective of the cost to provide healthcare services in the

This study will explore the impact of Medicare Part D on the elderly's physician endorsed sedate utilize and out-of-pocket costs utilizing a distinction in-contrasts look into the outline. The ordinary cost of a prescription was roughly $57.19 in 2006, so the market estimation of the 158 million additional cures was $9.0 billion. The CBO checks that net Medicare Part D costs were $32 billion of each 2006. The cost to the national council of extending drug use was 3.5 times as phenomenal as the market estimation of the additional medications. Toward the day's end, every seven medications paid for by the

Patients that are unable to follow prescriptions as ordered, related to lack of coverage, escalate stress on the health care system; increasing physician and emergency department visits, which may have been avoidable if the medications were covered for all Canadians (Lexchin, 2017). There are various socio-political barriers to implementing a universal drug coverage plan in Canada. Primarily, the federal government’s Patented Medicine Prices Review Board (PMPRB), controls prescription and non-prescription prices by making comparisons of across seven selected Organization of Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) countries (Tang, Ghali, & Manns, 2014). However, these OECD comparative countries have higher medication prices. In fact, four of the seven OECD countries have the most expensive prices worldwide; consequently increasing Canadian prescription pricing. According to Morgan and Boothe (2016), another barrier to universal drug coverage in Canada stems from “pharmacare’s initially low place on the policy agenda” (p. 249). Healthy public policy development requires synergy between the public, policy makers, and institutions alike. If universal drug coverage has “less attention than other health policy debates” a political change is less likely to occur (p. 251).

Prescription drug abuse is as dangerous to your health as illegal drug use. According to the article “Prescription Pain Medications: What you need to know,” there are many pieces of evidence that show the danger of prescription medications. Three examples of theses dangers from prescription medications in the article is that people can stop breathing, can begin addictions that may get worse, and overall overdosing on prescription medications. These prescription medications, opioids, such as OxyContin, Vicodin, Percodan, etc. are made with a plant called the Poppy Plant, which is also an ingredient for illegal opioids such as heroin. In paragraph five it says, “In fact, they now outnumber deaths from heroin and cocaine combined.” Furthermore,

Medicare is a program created by the Social Security Act of 1965. It is a federally run medical health insurance program aimed at medical coverage for senior citizens over 65 years of age. Over the years, the program has expanded to cover other beneficiaries such as individuals with disabilities and has also evolved to add prescription drug benefits. The program has been immensely successful in bringing health services to millions of senior citizens and individuals with disabilities. Despite this success, Medicare has faced a myriad of challenges most importantly budgetary projections that predict a rise in Medicare cost due to the “Baby Boomers” becoming eligible while having fewer workers per retiree to fund Medicare. The government has turned to managed care plans in cost saving measures and to bolster the quality and efficiency of their Medicare. While this summary might not exhaustively delve into the complicated web of Medicare but it will highlight what is looming in the horizon; the struggle to find new and innovative ways to finance Medicare for future generations without burdening beneficiaries or taxpayers.

Anyone who has purchased prescription medications has probably wondered why they cost so much, and rightfully so. Medication prices in the United States have been on a steady increase for decades, however, prices have been drastically increasing as of recent. Pharmaceutical companies have tried to justify these price increases due to the demand, the high cost of research, and the high costs of development and approval. Notwithstanding, the extent to which the prices have increased is not justifiable. Americans should be against these high medication prices and take action because pharmaceutical companies are taking advantage of our health care system in order to capitalize from the sick. In order shed some light on this issue, we must examine the magnitude, scope, and consequences of these rises in price.

In this essay, federal drug policy, and its correlation with the shortage of drugs in Canada, will be considered. In particular, the disruption of drug supply will be considered, with a specific focus on drug supply within the province of Ontario. A discussion will ensue surrounding drug pricing and policy, and the ways in which these frameworks can ultimately serve to affect the efficacy of medical treatment and the safety of patients. Finally, the paper will focus on the accountability of multiple stakeholders, at both the federal and provincial levels, in terms of supplying medically necessary drugs to Canadians. This analysis will encompass the dominant role played by pharmaceutical actors in Canada. Finally, conclusions will be drawn

Utilize and utilize related probems will be more common if the substance is lawful. Denial will lessen, not dispose of, utilization and manhandle, but rather with three central costs: bootleg trades that can be brutal and debasing, implementation costs that surpass those of controlling a legitimate market, and expanded harm per unit of utilization among the individuals who use in spite of the boycott. We might want to know the long-run impact on utilization of changes in both cost and the nonprice parts of accessibility, including legitimate dangers and shame. There is currently a writing evaluating the value flexibility of interest for illicit medications, however the assessments shift generally starting with one investigation then onto the next and many examinations depend on studies that may not give satisfactory weight to the substantial clients who overwhelm utilization. Also, authorization would most likely include value decreases that go a long ways past the help of verifiable information. Numerous region, state, and government activities target tranquilize use among criminal guilty parties. Ye t most do little to diminish medicate utilize or wrongdoing. A special case is the medication courts process; a few executions of that thought have been appeared to decrease sedate utilize and other unlawful conduct. Tragically, the asset force of medication courts constrains their potential extension. The prerequisite that each member must show up

Supplementary insurance should not be mandated to Ontario residents. Supplemental insurance is to be voluntary. The rise in prescription drugs increases the attractiveness of opting for mandating insurance. Mandating insurance leaves room for price reductions for some, but not all. This brief sheds light on confidential drug negotions concerning consumers high price that is given to a questionable system.

Conclusion: Ultimately, a pharmacist’s role would greatly expand with the Provider Status law. In the future, all states should adapt a form of the Provider Status law. Pharmacists should be utilized to their utmost capabilities, they endured four years of education studying medications, their uses and the effects. A pharmacist’s expertise is very vital to a patient’s treatment. Eventually, pharmacists should be granted the right to prescribe

One of the underlying issues of rising costs lies in the hands-off role that the government is given in regards to the price-setting of drugs offered through prescription drug plans (PDPs). The Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement, and Modernization Act (MMA) of 2003 is the essential piece of legislation that created what Medicare Part D provisions (Frank & Newhouse, 2008) are in place currently. While this provision provides low-income older Americans with necessary medications, within the initial bill, the governmental program suffers a loss of autonomy. Under this bill, the government is barred from engaging in negotiations with pharmaceutical companies through the “noninterference” clause (Cubanski and Neuman, 2015). This prohibition

According to an article written by Anna Gorman of Health Leaders Media, the use of prescription drugs is a growing concern. The article mentions Lola Cal, a patient in a geriatric unit in Santa Monica, California whose medical records show that she is on 36 different medications. Although people born from 1946 to 1964, known as the baby boomer generation, only make up 16% of the U. S. population, this generation accounts for one-third of prescription drug use. Many elderly patients take several medications to treat chronic illnesses and raise their chances for serious side effects and dangerous drug interactions. Dr. Maristela Garcia, director of the inpatient geriatric unit at UCLA Medical Center in Santa Monica states that polypharmacy is “America’s other drug problem.

In 1957 congressmen by the names of Aime Forand and Cecil King thought that they might “cover some of the medical costs of the growing number of Americans over the age of sixty-five” (Zelizer). Because people at this older age were in desperate need of medical care and not able to provide it for themselves, these two congressmen helped pay for their care. After these two men “started” Medicare people began to be required to pay for Medicare costs, seeing that people over the age of 65 are more prone to be in need of medical attention (ibid). Logically we should aid the people meeting this criteria to better the health of the elderly in society, but as these people pay their Medicare bills they should do so according to how much they will need such aid in their own futures.

Roughly 95 percent surprisingly over the age of 65 in the United States are secured by the Medicare program. Medicare comprised of two partitioned yet integral projects: Hospital Insurance (HI) for administrations outfitted in clinics, in talented nursing offices, and by home well-being offices; and Supplementary Medical Insurance (SMI) for the administrations of doctors, home