Once upon a time: Medicine and Man

Diseases, sickness, and epidemics have always been existent. According to scientific research, they existed even before humans by approximately 350 million years. They have been there since the beginnings of the most primitive life forms. Parasites that are dependant on other life forms to ensure their own existence despite the death or demise of those carrying the parasites.

Humans, as we know them today, being the best evolved and adaptable life form (second to viruses) have been able to learn to solve the parasite problem. The easiest and first resolve was a prayer of mercy to the God(s) for a cure or salvation when one individual or a small group was infected in one way or the other. Next came burning and incineration, and so on it went until the first doctors who came with concrete results to these epidemics and diseases. Problems were being solved with therapy or medicine.

This gave birth to the science of medicine, and there became the medicine man (a.k.a. doctor), a figure that was on the way to becoming second to God, the only 2 who could cure this disease or epidemic.

Medicine with the help of the science of pharmacy have gone to great lengths to make sure we are no longer infected and cured if that was the case. The amount of respect and gratitude given to doctors and medicine people altogether was never surpassed by any other profession. This is has not changed. Yet.

Here, I would like to let everyone look back and look to the future.

Medicine and the Pharmaceutical industries have become the most lucrative businesses to be in. Nevertheless they became the biggest parasites in the history of this world. The business aspect of the industry makes sure that, God forbid you have a health problem, you are not going out. Doctor feeding the pharmaceutical company, which in turn feeds the labs, and in turn feed the hospitals and the feeding process goes beck and forth between these different parties, while the sick dependants just want a cure. I’m not a doctor to argue with a doctor. The only reason I went is I can’t heal myself. But people are becoming a bit more educated with a resourcefulness that allows them to research, and ask questions on why I need 4 different medicines, 5 different tests, and another 5 doctor appointments for flu or a cold. Calculate the cost of that, and you’ll understand.

What happens when the matters complicate, and the sickness is more serious?

To my misfortune, I have been watching similar cases hit close to home. And honestly, the cost of a doctor’s visit is becoming ridiculously expensive, considering what it will entail. People will probably answer and say, get insurance. It’s the same. Get a serious problem and watch your premium skyrocket to unprecedented levels.

Some people with chronic diseases need the worth of $200 of medicine per day, excluding the cost of administering the medication, doctor check ups, surgery if needed, constant care, or hospitalization… let’s do the math.

This is a total of $6000 each and every month on medications. From my research, less than 3% of the Jordanian population makes more than this figure as a total household. Yet the diseases are not limited to the top 3% of our society.

Questions:
- How can one 50mg pill of medicine cost $150?
- How can one simple blood or urine test incorporating taking a drop, adding a chemical, waiting, and noting the color, cost $400.
- How does an operation that cost $3000 last year, become $8000 this year.

The $150 pill. Pharmaceutical companies spend 4-5 years of research to come up with the formula for this medicine, and another 2 to get the medicine out into the market. Which is true that it costs a lot of money, and it has to pay back in one way or the other. But my perspective on the cost is: Robbery. What ingredients, packaging, distribution, administration, marketing, or whatever added costs, can come up to $150 per pill? This is purely the addition of ridiculous profit margins. (600%+ margins)
At this rate, all you need is 2000 patients worldwide for 3-4 years on this medication, and the investment of the company has already been covered with profit.
Research for Jordan has yielded that more than 380 people need this medicine, but a very few 10 can actually afford it in any means possible. The rest will have to do without it. No alternative. Wait until the disease consumes them. Insurance and social security will not cover anything like this.

In some cases, there is sympathy from different parties, who, in the name of charity, sponsor the medication for these people who need it, but will never be able to afford the medication. God bless these people. Some have even gone all the way and made Medical Centers to treat these people for free. Look at the King Hussein Cancer Center, established by and in memory of His Majesty, the late King Hussein, God Bless his soul, where thousands of people go to get treated every day with the best that medicine has to offer, within the allocated capabilities. These types of medications are not within the capabilities of any organization.

Take a step outside, and look in. Ask around you. Investigate. Where is this going???