Doug Badger
Jul 25, 2017 · 1 min read

This piece makes a valid and often overlooked point about drug prices: too few drugs are available over-the-counter. Here in Italy, you can buy many commonly used drugs like Enalapril (an ACE inhibitor used to treat moderately high blood pressure) at the pharmacy without a prescription. Many drugs should certainly require prescriptions. Some are controlled substances and others should only be used under the supervision of the doctor. The U.S., however, puts far too many drugs in this category, lining the pockets of physicians (you can’t get your medicine without a note from your doctor), drug companies and pharmacies (note that the pharmacist wanted to charge a cash price of $277 if the product wasn’t purchased through an insurance company). That must change.

    Doug Badger

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