There’s considerable evidence suggesting that the difference in input prices of everything, including pay scales for physicians and hospital workers as well as the prices of biopharmaceuticals are important contributors to the higher health care expenditures we see in the US versus the rest of the OECD. Well in excess of half the cost of health care services comes from wages. I expect that if we could get a full line-by-line accounting, the same would be true for prescription products.

This may just be tacit acceptance of the inevitable. If health care reform doesn’t create a “value based” delivery system, then it’s going to come down to unit pricing. In that environment getting the fixed cost burden down will be important for survival for all stakeholders, including biopharma.

Hope more people step up to the plate with this idea.

It would be nice if the CEO’s and other top executives would defer their excessive bonuses in order to save more jobs, but that might be asking too much. Ah the bourgeoisie…Different century, same S**t…