What happens when the “invisible hand of the free market” controls healthcare? Behold Exhibit ∞: High school football coach dies due to chemo drug shortage. FDA Commissioner says the reason for the drug shortage is because the medication is not profitable enough.

10 comments

1. Yes because command economies haven’t always led to massive supply shortages.

2. It sounds like the patent ran out so you can make a generic and supply the drug yourself. Are you willing to just let people die or are you going to do something?

3. “they’re having quality problems because of difficulty investing in their technology”

   I wonder how bad these quality problems are? Couldn’t the FDA reduce quality expectations a bit during major supply shortages? I’m sure people dying of cancer would rather have a potentially bad drug than no drug at all.

4. “While carboplatin and cisplatin are “still listed in shortage,” Fleury says last year [the FDA allowed imports of cisplatin](https://www.nbcnews.com/health/cancer/cancer-drug-shortage-fda-will-allow-imports-cisplatin-china-rcna87751) that helped assuage that shortfall, and the drugs are now being produced more widely in the U.S.”

   So it’s a free market except you can only shop here. OK.

5. Given the obscene profits (billions) Merck is reaping from its cancer drug KEYTRUDA, surely they and peers could help finance/support the manufacture of commonly used, generic, chemo drugs that have availability issues. This could easily be done if they truly cared about their namesake Human Health…

6. Horrible. Looks like another medication California can make.

7. Always one more season. Heck let’s try to dry up those crocodile tears and let him meet his maker.

8. Will anyone think about the poor pharmaceutical CEO’s? How are they supposed to feed their families?

9. Expectation: The government produces every drug

   Reality: “You qualify for MAID”

10. Ironically Why does it feel like Mark Cuban is doing more to make healthcare affordable instead of our own damn congress!? We need transparency and affordability, yet big Pharma doesn’t let this happen.

    The whole healthcare system is broken.

    This is a sector that CANNOT function on profit-motive alone, and our government is not doing enough to regulate this in the favor of the people.