Price Of Medicines In Thailand May Soar If Evergreen Patents Granted

[webfact]

Price of medicines may soar if evergreen patents granted
PONGPHON SARNSAMAK
THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- Many medicines would become too pricey for ordinary consumers in the near future if the government allows manufacturers to extend patents under the so-called evergreen system.

This would allow drug companies to fix the cost of medicines, health advocates say.

"Evergreen patents could block competition and access to affordable medicine," researcher Usawa-dee Maleewong of the Health Systems Research Institute, said.

Usawadee's research into the impact of evergreen patents in Thailand found that over 2,188 requests for patent protection were submitted to the Intellectual Property Department between 2000 and 2010. Of these, only 12 were made by local drug makers, with the rest submitted by multinational pharmaceutical firms. American drug companies submitted about 736 requests during this period.

The department has approved 31 requests to date, meaning patent protection could be extended to these pharmaceutical products for 20 years - or indefinitely.

Usawadee's study revealed that most requests were intended to extend the patent term on an existing compound of a drug or on one to which minor changes had been made. She estimated this strategy would help create monopolies in Thailand worth about Bt8.4 billion over the next 15 years.


-- The Nation 2013-02-27

[jackr]

Well everything else has gone up by a crazy amount of late, so only a matter of time before drugs are targeted too.

[Locationthailand]

Price fixing does not exist in Thailand.

[grahamhc]

I bet there is great pressure by Drug Companies to pressure politician to do their bidding. Not only in Thailand

Lobbyists of all industries around the world are usually to the detriment of the people.

Big Businesses can fund them.

Poor and under-privileged people cannot afford them.

Guess who wins.

Edited February 27, 2013 by grahamhc

[Gary A]

There are few industries existing who are more corrupt than the US drug companies. Unfortunately this corruption filters down to the doctors and the insurance companies. The best example I can give you is my own experience. While still living in the US, I was prescribed three medications. I had insurance and the co-payment was $20 per prescription. That was $60 every month and the prescription was only good for 30 days. When I retired and came to live in Thailand, I took those drugs to a Thai doctor to try to duplicate them. The Thai doctor advised me to throw them away. He prescribed one 20 mg blood pressure drug and a baby aspirin every day and to come back to see him in a week. After the second visit to the doctor, he said I was fine. The cost of the blood pressure drug is still 300 baht for one hundred foil wrapped tablets and no prescription necessary. I don't remember the cost of the baby aspirins but I buy them in bottles of one thousand. My monthly cost went from $60 with insurance to a bit over $3 without insurance.

[nycjoe]

Corporatocracy and big pharma buy politicians worldwide. I knew we were finished when I saw Ronald McDonald Waying me.

[Scorpio1949]

Still I think that with a good farmacist ( like I have ) I will have the medication I need for the price I used to pay............

[indyuk]

I bet there is great pressure by Drug Companies to pressure politician to do their bidding. Not only in Thailand

Lobbyists of all industries around the world are usually to the detriment of the people.

Big Businesses can fund them.

Poor and under-privileged people cannot afford them.

Guess who wins.

This is why I have always considered that it should be illegal for any person in Public service including Politicians to accept payment in money or kind from any lobbyist, especially in the United States. Lobbying arrangements are detrimental to open government and its highly inflationary. As always it's the electorate that suffer.

[cup-O-coffee]

It's no secret that Big Pharma is bad for your health. They are the ultimate drug pusher of this modern world we live in. From court ordered drug prescriptions, to behavioral health specialists and doctors and general practitioners issuing prescriptions for synthetic medicines for anything from a bad feeling to a sneeze or a limp pecker; is it any wonder that we are all letting our immune systems be drugged down for the slaughter to come.

Big Pharma manufactures the diseases they create the cure for and they end up getting the patents for these disease cures before the diseases come out. This is no secret. They send out assassins to take out the competition and whistle blowers. This is no secret. They bleed the people to death and do it through the soulless, feeble minded perverts, alcoholics, pedophiles, womanizers and miscreants they get elected as sock-puppet politicians. This is no secret.

What can one do? Nothing. Just build an ark and get ready for the fallout and keep your head down so it doesn't get whacked off like the poor bastard who protested about illegal waste dumping near his village. This is one terrorist group you don't want to mess with. They have the world in their pocket and eating out of their hands.

[how241]

Well everything else has gone up by a crazy amount of late, so only a matter of time before drugs are targeted too.

+1

[geriatrickid]

I bet there is great pressure by Drug Companies to pressure politician to do their bidding. Not only in Thailand

Lobbyists of all industries around the world are usually to the detriment of the people.

Big Businesses can fund them.

Poor and under-privileged people cannot afford them.

Guess who wins.

Ok, then let the people who want the low cost drugs fund the R&D. I would be sympathetic to Thailand if it invested money in life sciences R&D. For example, Japan and the USA should not be the major funders of malaria research in Thailand. A country doesn't have to be rich and big to make a contribution. Australia, Israel, & Canada make important contributions to R&D and their respective contributions are just as important as the powerhouses of Germany and the USA.

Thailand could make a major contribution if it stopped the easy distribution of important beneficial drugs over the counter. The easy access to these drugs has helped to create antibiotic resistant superbugs in Thailand. There wouldn't be a need to access many of the more expensive innovative drugs if the government took some basic steps to stop the misuse of many drugs. The water table of Thailand is contaminated with many of these drugs and the improper use by consumers along with a reliance in the food industry doesn't do public health any good. Another good first step would be to stop the heavy markups at some of the private hospitals.

[geriatrickid]

It's no secret that Big Pharma is bad for your health. They are the ultimate drug pusher of this modern world we live in. From court ordered drug prescriptions, to behavioral health specialists and doctors and general practitioners issuing prescriptions for synthetic medicines for anything from a bad feeling to a sneeze or a limp pecker; is it any wonder that we are all letting our immune systems be drugged down for the slaughter to come.

Big Pharma manufactures the diseases they create the cure for and they end up getting the patents for these disease cures before the diseases come out. This is no secret. They send out assassins to take out the competition and whistle blowers. This is no secret. They bleed the people to death and do it through the soulless, feeble minded perverts, alcoholics, pedophiles, womanizers and miscreants they get elected as sock-puppet politicians. This is no secret.

What can one do? Nothing. Just build an ark and get ready for the fallout and keep your head down so it doesn't get whacked off like the poor bastard who protested about illegal waste dumping near his village. This is one terrorist group you don't want to mess with. They have the world in their pocket and eating out of their hands.

I see. Well, apparently, you are unaware, that one of the reasons why there are many mentally ill people out on the street is due in large part to governments not being able to force these people to take their medications. It is extremely difficult to compel a schizophrenic to take his/her meds. Big pharma manufactures the disease the create a cure for? Really? Tell that to the millions of people with cancer. Tell that to the people afflicted with malaria and TB that do not respond to the current available medications. Tell that to people with baldness.

The drug company that comes up with a successful treatment for baldness is guarannteed to make billions. Drug companies send out assassins? Do you realize that when you make such an unfounded and assinine statement, that any attempt at credibility you make is gone? The Pharmaceutical industry is made up of many types of companies, ranging from 1 person researchers to large companies. I don't think the folks that have spent their lives trying to come up with successful treatments for HIV are terrorists. Next time you are sick, forgo any and all medications offered, Do it on principle.

Edited February 27, 2013 by geriatrickid

[tomross46]

There are few industries existing who are more corrupt than the US drug companies. Unfortunately this corruption filters down to the doctors and the insurance companies. The best example I can give you is my own experience. While still living in the US, I was prescribed three medications. I had insurance and the co-payment was $20 per prescription. That was $60 every month and the prescription was only good for 30 days. When I retired and came to live in Thailand, I took those drugs to a Thai doctor to try to duplicate them. The Thai doctor advised me to throw them away. He prescribed one 20 mg blood pressure drug and a baby aspirin every day and to come back to see him in a week. After the second visit to the doctor, he said I was fine. The cost of the blood pressure drug is still 300 baht for one hundred foil wrapped tablets and no prescription necessary. I don't remember the cost of the baby aspirins but I buy them in bottles of one thousand. My monthly cost went from $60 with insurance to a bit over $3 without insurance.

I went to a hospital in north Bangkok, for what appeared to be a minor stroke. The GP gave me allot of pills and sent me to a neurologist. He told me the one pill was basically rat poison, and for me to take 60 mg. aspirin instead, no stroke.

[jcisco]

There are few industries existing who are more corrupt than the US drug companies. Unfortunately this corruption filters down to the doctors and the insurance companies. The best example I can give you is my own experience. While still living in the US, I was prescribed three medications. I had insurance and the co-payment was $20 per prescription. That was $60 every month and the prescription was only good for 30 days. When I retired and came to live in Thailand, I took those drugs to a Thai doctor to try to duplicate them. The Thai doctor advised me to throw them away. He prescribed one 20 mg blood pressure drug and a baby aspirin every day and to come back to see him in a week. After the second visit to the doctor, he said I was fine. The cost of the blood pressure drug is still 300 baht for one hundred foil wrapped tablets and no prescription necessary. I don't remember the cost of the baby aspirins but I buy them in bottles of one thousand. My monthly cost went from $60 with insurance to a bit over $3 without insurance.

I went to a hospital in north Bangkok, for what appeared to be a minor stroke. The GP gave me allot of pills and sent me to a neurologist. He told me the one pill was basically rat poison, and for me to take 60 mg. aspirin instead, no stroke.

I think you were most likely given a prescription for wolfren, this is a commonly used blood thinning agent. It is also used because of that property as rat poison since it will do the same to a rat as it will to you. In that if they consume too much it will thin out their blood to the point it kills them. Asprin has a similar side-effect, however I am not a doctor so cannot comment as to what the outcome of taking one of the other may be.

But not everything is a conspiracy and thing may not always be as they seem on face value. The doctor may of been slightly cavalier in his statements.

[cup-O-coffee]

It's no secret that Big Pharma is bad for your health. They are the ultimate drug pusher of this modern world we live in. From court ordered drug prescriptions, to behavioral health specialists and doctors and general practitioners issuing prescriptions for synthetic medicines for anything from a bad feeling to a sneeze or a limp pecker; is it any wonder that we are all letting our immune systems be drugged down for the slaughter to come.

Big Pharma manufactures the diseases they create the cure for and they end up getting the patents for these disease cures before the diseases come out. This is no secret. They send out assassins to take out the competition and whistle blowers. This is no secret. They bleed the people to death and do it through the soulless, feeble minded perverts, alcoholics, pedophiles, womanizers and miscreants they get elected as sock-puppet politicians. This is no secret.

What can one do? Nothing. Just build an ark and get ready for the fallout and keep your head down so it doesn't get whacked off like the poor bastard who protested about illegal waste dumping near his village. This is one terrorist group you don't want to mess with. They have the world in their pocket and eating out of their hands.

I see. Well, apparently, you are unaware, that one of the reasons why there are many mentally ill people out on the street is due in large part to governments not being able to force these people to take their medications. It is extremely difficult to compel a schizophrenic to take his/her meds. Big pharma manufactures the disease the create a cure for? Really? Tell that to the millions of people with cancer. Tell that to the people afflicted with malaria and TB that do not respond to the current available medications. Tell that to people with baldness.

The drug company that comes up with a successful treatment for baldness is guarannteed to make billions. Drug companies send out assassins? Do you realize that when you make such an unfounded and assinine statement, that any attempt at credibility you make is gone? The Pharmaceutical industry is made up of many types of companies, ranging from 1 person researchers to large companies. I don't think the folks that have spent their lives trying to come up with successful treatments for HIV are terrorists. Next time you are sick, forgo any and all medications offered, Do it on principle.

It only takes a comment like mine to draw out a comment like yours. We are both right. I apologies that I could not cover all the details that you took the time to bring out, and which I agree on to a degree. I am also correct. You think that Big Pharma does not stoop to taking out the competition and whistle blowers at any cost? I do not think you are that naive.

[Gary A]

Warfarin is a commonly used rat poison. It thins the blood to the point that the rat will hemorrhage to death. It is sold as a blood thinner for humans who are in danger of blood clots or stroke. The corrupt drug companies sell it for high prices under several brand names.

Aspirin does basically the same thing but it is much safer and certainly cheaper.

[Locationthailand]

There are few industries existing who are more corrupt than the US drug companies. Unfortunately this corruption filters down to the doctors and the insurance companies. The best example I can give you is my own experience. While still living in the US, I was prescribed three medications. I had insurance and the co-payment was $20 per prescription. That was $60 every month and the prescription was only good for 30 days. When I retired and came to live in Thailand, I took those drugs to a Thai doctor to try to duplicate them. The Thai doctor advised me to throw them away. He prescribed one 20 mg blood pressure drug and a baby aspirin every day and to come back to see him in a week. After the second visit to the doctor, he said I was fine. The cost of the blood pressure drug is still 300 baht for one hundred foil wrapped tablets and no prescription necessary. I don't remember the cost of the baby aspirins but I buy them in bottles of one thousand. My monthly cost went from $60 with insurance to a bit over $3 without insurance.

I went to a hospital in north Bangkok, for what appeared to be a minor stroke. The GP gave me allot of pills and sent me to a neurologist. He told me the one pill was basically rat poison, and for me to take 60 mg. aspirin instead, no stroke.

I think you were most likely given a prescription for wolfren, this is a commonly used blood thinning agent. It is also used because of that property as rat poison since it will do the same to a rat as it will to you. In that if they consume too much it will thin out their blood to the point it kills them. Asprin has a similar side-effect, however I am not a doctor so cannot comment as to what the outcome of taking one of the other may be.

But not everything is a conspiracy and thing may not always be as they seem on face value. The doctor may of been slightly cavalier in his statements.

The product is Warfarin (not wolfren) - with a huge amount of side effects including hemorrhaging especially in older people. It also depletes Vitamin K in your body. It simply things the blood but not recommended.

[Chopperboy]

Pharmocracy

How Corrupt Deals and Misguided Medical Regulations Are Bankrupting America—and What to Do About It
by William Faloon

[stoli]

I have found that the prescription drugs that I bought in the U.S., from Walmart, were $10 US for a 90 day supply, and are far more expensive here in Thailand, even though most are made in Thailand or China. I don't understand why the Thai's think that everything has to be a copy from somewhere else than the original manufacturer, which may even be cheaper.

I also don't blame everything on the Pharmacutical companies. Their patent dates start on the day they start on a product, not on when they go to market. Many never make it to market, meaning they have taken a huge loss just to try. I hope they keep trying for new drugs to cure the many deseases that kill people, rather than saying it is just not affordable. If it is easier for you to make your own drugs, and shoulder the cost yourself, go for it.

[Credo]

Warfarin is a commonly used rat poison. It thins the blood to the point that the rat will hemorrhage to death. It is sold as a blood thinner for humans who are in danger of blood clots or stroke. The corrupt drug companies sell it for high prices under several brand names.

Aspirin does basically the same thing but it is much safer and certainly cheaper.

Not all medications are interchangeable and some people cannot take aspirin, so they may be stuck with a more expensive alternative.

But, hey, if you don't want to pay the high cost of Warfarin, then you can just pick up some rat poison, I guess.

[DP25]

Expect this to go forward. Thaksin has gone to bat for benefit of international drug company profits before. After the coup the military government decided to break patents on a number of HIV and heart medications so they could be distributed through the public health scheme at a massively reduced cost. Thaksin had opposed this policy while in office, and when it was implemented after he was kicked out he attempted to use this issue of American drug companies losing profits in Thailand to gain American support against the Thai government. He created fake lobby groups in the US through his propaganda machine to slander the efforts of the government to provide life saving drugs to HIV patients.

http://2bangkok.com/07-news07apr.html

Unfortunately the opposition seems too inept to ever use this against him if it does happen. I expect international drug company profits in Thailand to be protected, and hardly a word about this to ever be said by the Democrats.

[RaoulDuke]

This is a big problem for all countries right now, hardly something unique to Thailand. Big Pharma is manipulating the free-trade agreements which countries are all-to-quick to sign. The TPP, which is aimed at a large number of Asian and American countries, has a similar clause which enables drug companies to fix prices in all member countries. These free-trade agreements are nothing but but a thinly veiled attempt by big corporations to usurp and transcend national laws, so they can become more powerful than any country or governing body. Unfortunately, the public is turning a blind eye while our corrupt politicians (just about all politicians anywhere in the world are corrupt) are selling us all down the river of greed for some kickbacks. There are some small-scale anti-TPP protests, but they are always ignored by the masses, completely oblivious to the real and unpleasant implications of 'free trade'. Tariffs and sovereignty are the only tool we have to stand up to these multi-national behemoths yet we are allowing these very corporations to write the rules which we will be forced to oblige by, without oversight. Many government officials and offices are even completely shut out of the planning process for these agreement, they are merely presented for approval, sight-unseen. They are sold to the public under the guise of 'increasing competitiveness and expanding markets', which of course only benefits the corporations.

[Bagwan]

Warfarin is a commonly used rat poison. It thins the blood to the point that the rat will hemorrhage to death. It is sold as a blood thinner for humans who are in danger of blood clots or stroke. The corrupt drug companies sell it for high prices under several brand names.

Aspirin does basically the same thing but it is much safer and certainly cheaper.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warfarin

After acquiring a deep vein thrombosis a modified version of Warfarin, Orfarin, was prescribed at BKK's most prestigious (according to them) hospital. Orfarin does not thin the blood which would inhibit the transport of oxygen to all parts of the body. The Warfarin derivative inhibits the ability of blood to clot which is an entirely different thing than thinning the blood. After a clot has dispersed, debris in the veins and arteries remains and a medication called Harnal of which the active ingredient is Tamsulosin Hydrochloride effectively deals with this.

The usual treatment for thrombosis is the administration of subcutaneous injections of Heparin until the INR (International Normalised Ratio) reaches between 2 and 3. Orfarin is slow to act so that Heparin is used to hurry the process of raising the INR along. Orfarin comes in two forms, a 3 mg and a 6 mg version. Unwilling to be ripped off by a private hospital, I purchased 3mg Orfarin at my local pharmacy paying 600 baht for 100 tablets. A weekly check of my INR level at a local independent laboratory cost 300 baht and the results were emailed to me the same day.

This post was vetted by a doctor friend of mine who verified the accuracy of the information.

[Maestro]

I have deleted a nonsensical hub post.

[Bagwan]

In Post #23 above I made a very careless error which I hope that nobody here has acted upon. The medication that will deal with material in the blood circulation system is Daflon and the recommended dosage is 500mg. Daflon is readily available throughout Thailand, well I don't have any trouble getting hold of some.

The Harnal medication is used to alleviate the problems of an enlarged prostate gland. I made the post after first checking my facts with my medical friend and she confirmed that I told her Daflon and not Harnal and so I must accept total responsibility for the error. Sackcloth and ashes for me for the rest of the week. My apologies to all my fans - both of you.

Aside - Is that all right now Mum? Can I go out to play with the others?