If you follow this link http://fairmedicine.eu/?page_id=211 you will find a new website. It advertises an organization that is keen to stop price gauging by the pharmaceuticals. Although only in its infancy I believe the idea is clever - far too often we hear of cases where either the government (if its in the PBS) or the patient has to pay through the nose for medicines. It is particularly galling as the majority of medicine's have been developed in universities; i.e the R&D was funded by the taxpayer. This particular initiative sets a margin of between 8% and 18% -certainly an improvement on the excessive margins charged by big Pharma.
So follow the link, have a read and if you like what it says comment both here but also let your local member know!

Baygon

What is the fair price?

Yeah. What is a fair price. People who complain about prices often do not have a clue about the costs to bring goods to customers. In the case of drugs, it is billions and billions. Now, all we 'know' that drug companies are villians. But there are laws and regulations. And, until we find that these laws and regulations are NOT being adhered to, we are just shooting in the dark. None of these 'we'll-save-you groups' can do anything if pricing is LEGALLY fair and above board. The best they can do is call out the old 'more competition' mantra, and we all know how that works: more snouts in the trough, all charging the same, gradually increasing the price, and making a mint along the way. We might be better of if realised that many 'new' diseases are invented in the name of profit, and forego the 'cure'. The other way to look at is: modern medicine IS expensive, but it keeps us living longer. We have a choice, and I do not see that living like a vegetable long after your 'three score and ten' age is a good choice. If you want to live as long as Methusala, good luck, but you will have to pay for it.

ttbn - did you read the thread? Did you bother to follow the link? What is a fair price - you ask - it is in the original thread - it limits the profit margin to between 8% and 18%. Nor is it a case that are laws and regulation are not being adhered to; they are just ineffective. The promoters of fair price recognize that they are ineffective but also know that no matter what the laws and regs are they will always have loopholes. So they have created a system which basically uses the free market but I guess had you bothered to visit the website you would have known that.