# AARP Sells Out Seniors On Prescription Drugs **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 22, 2003, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aarp-sells-out-seniors-on-prescription-drugs/214680 "2003-11-22T14:40:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![emarkp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3be4f8/32.png) [@emarkp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emarkp)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2003, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aarp-sells-out-seniors-on-prescription-drugs/214680/21 "2003-11-24T21:28:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jonathan Chance \* > Sure, the lower prices outside the US are due to cost controls. But if they’re not profitable why sell there in the first place? Sure, you could say that if they refused to sell a drug in country X then country X would just violate their patent and manufacture it themselves. But if it’s not profitable at the lower level wouldn’t allowing the patent violation be preferable to taking a loss? If they can sell for more than the manufacturing/packaging/shipping cost, then they can sell each unit for a profit. However, they have to recoup the cost of R&D through total sales. Additionally, countries with socialized medecine can buy supply for the whole country. Be assured that if similar price caps exist in the US, new drugs will cease to exist. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2003, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aarp-sells-out-seniors-on-prescription-drugs/214680/22 "2003-11-25T00:15:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Brutus \* > \*\*Comrade President should direct the Politburo to submit a new 5-Year Plan which includes strong price controls, huh? > > Price controls are only a bit more ridiculous than the people in favor of them. \*\* Not as ridiculous as people who will endure any ill if it threatens the religion they have made of capitalism. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2003, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aarp-sells-out-seniors-on-prescription-drugs/214680/23 "2003-11-25T00:17:18Z")
Oh, and BTW, I’m not sure exactly how the government should or could go about imposing some kind of controls on the prices of prescription drugs. I just think “price controls” beats “watching people die because they can’t afford medicine.” I know, fuzzy headed liberalism and all. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2003, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aarp-sells-out-seniors-on-prescription-drugs/214680/24 "2003-11-25T00:19:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by emarkp \* > \*\*Be assured that if similar price caps exist in the US, new drugs will cease to exist. \*\* Cite? ---
**Author:** ![Tars\_Tarkas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tars\_Tarkas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tars_Tarkas)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2003, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aarp-sells-out-seniors-on-prescription-drugs/214680/25 "2003-11-25T00:37:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by emarkp \* > \*\* > Be assured that if similar price caps exist in the US, new drugs will cease to exist. \*\* so you’re saying if companies make less than obscenly large profits, they will stop wanting to make any profit? I laugh. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by minty green \* > > Yeah, I’m lookin’ at you, patent laws. This is the correct answer. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2003, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aarp-sells-out-seniors-on-prescription-drugs/214680/26 "2003-11-25T00:45:29Z")
And thus we’re put in the position of paying for the R&D for the entire world? Far worse than subsidizing failing industries I **loathe** the idea that the United States always has to subsidize the **world**. It’s not our responsibility to have high prices so the rest of the world can have cheap ones. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aarp-sells-out-seniors-on-prescription-drugs/214680.md?page=1)