Q: "Did you hear what Martin Shkreli said?"
This question was posed to me by a friend.
My answer: "of course I did."
His response: "that guy's an asshole."
My response: "maybe, but he's doing what he was hired to do."
Let me be clear. I don't care for folks who are so blinded by money that they trample over anyone and everyone to get more. But he was hired by a business to do what businesses do. Make money. As much of it as possible. The fact that it may have negative repercussions on people's lives is secondary. Notice, I didn't say those lives are unimportant. But they are secondary to making money for greedy businessmen.
I don't blame them. Businesses have always had a certain ability in our culture and our society to skirt laws and do lots of wonky shit. But getting mad at them for following their purpose is as futile as getting mad at a fire you've built that rages out of control.
Our current healthcare system has no real way to force pharmaceutical companies like Turing Pharmaceuticals to stop their ridiculousness...and the fire blazes on.
PSYCH is a well equipped fire fighting team. In addition to 50 non-profit companies, opening the markets to Canada (and/or Europe) will cause medication prices to plummet. And we can accomplish all of this without putting price restrictions on any pharmaceutical company (because that is indeed a slippery slope.) When you remove the oxygen from an inferno, it's bound to die.
Ironically, PSYCH uses the same market Shkreli manipulates to give everyday Americans market power over ridiculous pharmaceutical CEOs that have no home training or sense of decency.
Dontcha love when a plan comes together?