[e-drug] AstraZeneca launched new 'Patient Assistance Program' (4)

["Douglas Ball" <douglasball@yahoo.co.uk>]

E-DRUG: AstraZeneca launched new 'Patient Assistance Program' (4)
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I agree with the opinion in the previous E-DRUG summary of patient assistance programs (http://www.essentialdrugs.org/edrug/archive/199812/msg00041.php) that they are more an indictment of the health system which creates such a niche (in a rich country), rather than saying much about the drug companies. The latter are simply business entities taking advantage of the situation for business reasons (there may be some exceptions but allow me to generalise). If they were truly caring they would set up a (joint) fund to purchase treatment/insurance for the indigent which would include generics, medicines from other companies and, I presume, cover a larger number of patients.

Most of the business reasons have probably been enumerated: show corporate responsibility, maintain the image of a caring industry (to patients, voters, lawmakers - from the press release they already have at least on congressman in their pocket), tax breaks, get rid of close to expiry stock without paying for disposal, start/keep patients on brand name drugs rather than see them get started on/switched to generics, etc. If it didn't make good business-sense, they wouldn't do it. 

Douglas
 
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Douglas Ball
Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Kuwait
E-mail: dball[AT]hsc.edu.kw 
douglasball@yahoo.co.uk