i used to suffer from annual sinus infections. the treatment was simple. one doctor appointment and a $5.00 prescription for erythromycin. one year, my doctor wrote a script for a “new” medication. he told me that it might make me feel better “a day” sooner. the pharmacy bill for the new drug was $70.00! there was little utility with this medication which cost 140 percent than the one that worked.
the book of leviticus contains no pronouncement “thou shalt not favor a more expensive drug over a less expensive drug.” had the torah been handed down today, perhaps it would.
while there are other biblical laws which can be interpreted to give advice and guidance with respect to medical ethics, i.e. rules concerning weights and measures, the pronouncement ” you shall not favor a poor person or respect a great man; you shall judge your fellow with righteousness” has a sense of relevancy the current problemics with the pharmaceutical industry in connection with government.
should medical practice and government employ an honest policy concerning prescription drugs? cheap drugs may be actually be just as or more effective than more expensive ones.
this issue topic relates to current covid-19 treatment. a recent study found that an effective treatment. the drug’s problem is that it is inexpensive. the treatment cost is less than $1.00 per day. jpost.com
jpost.com reports, ” prof. eli schwartz, founder of the center for travel medicine and tropical disease at sheba has come forth with respect to COVID-19, and indicated that individuals can be treated at a cost of under $1 per day. ivermectin, a drug used to fight parasites in third-world countries, could help reduce the length of infection for people who contract coronavirus for less than a $1 a day, according to recent research by sheba medical center“
this medication has an impressive pedigree. it been approved by the us food and drug administration since 1987, for use in medical treatment. the drug’s discoverers were awarded the 2015 Nobel Prize in connection with it. jpost.com
it is reported that a “a study published in the peer-reviewed american journal of therapeutics showed that the cost of ivermectin for other treatments in bangladesh is around $0.60 to $1.80 for a five-day course.” the study showed that ivermectin had. schwartz said “it also shows that there is almost a 100% chance that a person will be noninfectious in four to six days, which could lead to shortening isolation time for these people. this could have a huge economic and social impact.” jpost.com
the drug’s manufacturer is apparently not happy.
it is reported that the manufacturer merck ”has not launched any studies of its own on ivermectin.“ you would think merck would be happy to hear that ivermectin might be helpful to corona patients and try to study it, but they are most loudly declaring the drug should not be used,” schwartz said. “a billion people took it. they gave it to them. it’s a real shame.” jpost.com
in sum, the field of medicine and medical care is complicated. while there is a need for drug manufacturers to make money, there is also the need for honesty and integrity to be integrated into the delivery system. cheap and effective medications should not be supplanted for the sake of profit.
be well!!
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