Economies of scale are NOT working in insurance and big pharma. Look at Lipitor – it’s actually MORE expensive now, despite being one of the most prescribed meds out there. Shouldn’t it have gone down in price if true market forces were allowed to be in place?[/quote]
UCGal – Lipitor is still on patent, so it’s been insulated from “true market forces” and will be until November of this year. Notwithstanding that, Pfizer’s stock price is barely above what it was in 1997. Blame it on overbuying (Wyeth, etc.) or poor management, or whatever. But really – Lipitor (which was a revolutionary drug) is about $3 a day – as much as a cup of coffee and probably less than most people’s cable bills. From a value standpoint, if you have cardiovascular disease, it still seems like a good deal to me . . .
