The Mylan EpiPen pricing controversy is why people hate Washington

[workinclasszero]

The Mylan EpiPen pricing controversy is why people hate Washington
By Chris Cillizza September 20

If you need to understand why Donald Trump has done so surprisingly well in the 2016 presidential race, you don't need to look any further than the controversy surrounding the soaring price of EpiPens.

On Tuesday, USA Today reported that Gayle Manchin, the wife of Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.), urged states to require schools to stock EpiPens to deal with children with severe allergy issues. (Note: My son is one of these kids; he has a severe peanut allergy.) Gayle Manchin was, at the time, the head of the National Association of State Boards of Education.

As USA Today writes:

The association’s move helped pave the way for Mylan Specialty, maker of EpiPens, to develop a near monopoly in school nurses’ offices. Eleven states drafted laws requiring epinephrine auto-injectors. Nearly every other state recommended schools stock them after what the White House called the "EpiPen Law" in 2013 gave funding preference to those that did.

What's the big deal, you ask? Just this: The Manchins' daughter, Heather Bresch, is the chief executive of Mylan, the pharmaceutical company that manufactures EpiPens.

But wait, there's more! Over the past eight years, the price of EpiPens has risen 461 percent while Bresch's salary as chief executive has gone up 671 percent, according to NBC News. In 2015, Bresch made $18.9 million in salary.

Outraged yet?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/09/20/the-mylan-epipen-pricing-controversy-is-why-people-hate-politics/

[question everything]

1. I think that schools need to keep them for children who may need them

but they should not keep one for each child. Should not "stock" them. They should have maybe two and once they get used, then get another one. How often do school use them?

[LisaM]

2. Yes!

And the fact that the company defends this makes me think they are wearing blinders.

[Trust Buster]

3. It's Mylan's fault. The federal government did not raise the price.

[awoke_in_2003]

8. True

but our government writes laws that allow for a monopoly friendly environment. We have the "best" democracy money can buy

[KittyWampus]

4. I hate the fact people STILL think Epipens are the only epinephrine auto-injectors available.

In Washington, in the public and even still in doctor's offices. It seems almost everyone has been brainwashed to just accept Epi-Pens are the one and only solution on the market.

It's truly horrifying that there ARE safe alternatives available for far, far less and they're made in America but so many still are unaware.

People still refuse to inform themselves, the media does not do it's job and Washington apparently isn't either.

[TexasProgresive]

6. Perhaps you could do an OP listing them

Be sure they have been approved by the FDA.

[raging moderate]

10. Great idea! I hope somebody does make this list.

Some of us are not computer-savvy.

[KittyWampus]

15. I did. It sank like a stone. It's called "Adrenaclick".

[TexasProgresive]

18. One problem is the alternatives must be prescribed by name by the doc

The pharmacist cannot substitute as is done with generic drugs. The patient must insist that the doctor prescribe the auto-injector by name. The problem is the doctors don't know or care that there are cheaper alternatives available. Regardless the price is way too high for a one use delivery device to administer a dollar worth of drug.

http://snacksafely.com/2016/07/epinephrine-auto-injectors-where-is-the-long-promised-generic/
Anyone with a few years experience can tell you the various brands of auto-injectors marketed over time look and operate differently from each other, and because of this, medical professionals must prescribe a specific brand of auto-injector and pharmacists aren’t able to substitute one brand for another. Because doctors often write prescriptions for the same brand year after year, it’s difficult for a new design to gain enough market share to succeed.

This WIKI article gives a good sense of the history of Epipens and alternatives.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epinephrine_autoinjector

[Igel]

5. Here's an annoyance.

Manchin's spotlighted (a small spotlight, but to mention his name implies that somehow its relevant).

His wife was in the association that made the recommendation. If anything, his wife had conflict of interest. Perhaps Manchin didn't keep the "little woman" in line? But, no, to infer that would be offensive.

Manchin didn't introduce or sponsor the bill. Given how instrumental he must have been in its passing, that's surprising.

Except that it passed by voice vote/unanimous consent. Doesn't even matter if he was in the room at the time.

Of course, Obama signed the bill. But the real problem is Manchin's conflict of interest. The problem is whether he actually did anything that would be compromised by the conflict of interest, except perhaps talk.


The other problem is that the "epipen law" doens't refer to that particular product. It has schools keep a supply of epinephrine on hand. And it recommends strongly auto-injectors.

EpiPen is one such auto-injector. But it's only one of a small number of brands. The problem is that Mylan had stellar PR and advertising and pushed their product. Nobody's required to buy their brand. But it's hard to find the competition because Mylan's been so successful in marketing, in training schools to use their and just their product.

Frau Manchin probably helped her daughter's company; but at the same time, if auto-injectors weren't all that great there's no problem in discontinuing their purchase and the furor is overblown. Stock vials of the drug and some sharps.

[GeorgeGist]

12. Where did Heather learn to be so disgustingly greedy?

[Yo_Mama]

7. Yeah, I am, especially since these can be bought in Canada for $145

https://www.northwestpharmacy.com/product/epipen-auto-injector

But of course the law makes it illegal for you to do that. Their new el-cheapo $300 "generic" is only double instead of quadruple the price.

Congress is completely paid off by both the insurance industry and the pharmaceutical industry. We are all suckers being bled dry by raptor companies given a monopoly position by the very people who are supposed to represent us. It doesn't matter which party you vote for - you get the same thing.

The fury in the country is palpable, and not just on this issue.

Less than ten years ago these were $50-60 dollars.

This is the shit that is literally killing people in this country.

[workinclasszero]

11. Yes

This partnership between government and predatory capitalism is literally killing people, children even, in this country.

So some filthy rich CEO can wipe their ass with 100 dollar bills. Its BS!

[Sgent]

9. If the school actually has a nurse

rather than a receptionist -- you can buy epi and a syringe for about $1.00.

[alarimer]

13. Exactly.

She got her job because of who her dad is. Her mom pulled strings to get those pens distributed (at great profit) in schools. These people are scum of the earth, never mind that the dad at least is a Democrat.

This kind of built-in, systemic corruption (sweetheart deals for the well-connected and their offspring) is EVERYTHING that is wrong with Washington. It's completely legal, as far as I can tell.

Fuck them. Fuck the system.

[Skittles]

14. I can understand why people are angry / fed up

but WHY do they think a rich, elitist asshole con man like DONALD FUCKING TRUMP is the answer???

[Egnever]

16. Cillizza is a dick

And no surprise he plays lose and fast with the facts here.

When the epi pen was pushed for public schools their daughter was just a mid level employee not the CEO. Not to mention the law does not require it to be an Epipen, Epipens just became dominant because they worked the best of the alternatives at the time.

The law is a good one and it has protected a lot of kids from suffering needlessly or even dying.

Epipens raising prices now that they have a near monopoly is deplorable but that doesn't change the fact that clizilla is spinning a bunch of bullshit here as usual.

[TheFrenchRazor]

17. business as usual... nothing to see here folks... nt