Monday, February 13, 2012

Profiting from Disease

Sometimes I think there’s nothing that corporations could do that would still shock me. Then I’m proven wrong.

According to the NBC Nightly News (“Capitalizing on drug shortages, companies turn profit” broadcast October 17, 2011) there’s a shortage of certain drugs. While there are several legitimate reasons for these shortages, NBC reported that an investigation by Congress found that one disturbing reason was that some companies are buying up a wide range of drugs used for the treatment of cancer and other serious diseases then turning around and selling them at unbelievable high prices. For example, according to the report one company sold a vial of leukemia medicine that would normally sell for $12 for an amazing $990 a vial!

There’s a point where as system as corrupt as Capitalism can go so extreme that it even offends Big Media such as NBC. This is one of them.