This documentary shows how the big phamaceutical companies manage the health business.
I think the first approach is a bit naive, as pharmaceutical companies are still companies, which aim is to earn money. And capitalism is applied, in health as in every other aspect - most of it as much unethical as health (to begin with how stock market bet on cereals, food, water...
However, pharmaceutical companies still benefits from a specific environment. Lots of products are paid not by the consumer but by social security systems, often national ones. Prices are not (depending on the country) market-based but defined in a way which is not always related with R&D and production costs.
And that position is the scandal there, as they use this to bill prices that cannot be related to facts and figures. When they do not cross the law... It is indeed strange to think that these practises are quite new and that such prices were not conceivable before (even for these exact companies), at times where they were generally investing more money in R&D!
This documentary shows how these companies lead their businesses, use their influences - and how countries begin to react to that.
However, pharmaceutical companies still benefits from a specific environment. Lots of products are paid not by the consumer but by social security systems, often national ones. Prices are not (depending on the country) market-based but defined in a way which is not always related with R&D and production costs.
And that position is the scandal there, as they use this to bill prices that cannot be related to facts and figures. When they do not cross the law... It is indeed strange to think that these practises are quite new and that such prices were not conceivable before (even for these exact companies), at times where they were generally investing more money in R&D!
This documentary shows how these companies lead their businesses, use their influences - and how countries begin to react to that.