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Not to troll, but one of the worst parts of the US healthcare system is that it has very bad control of drugs from a public health point of view.

There's been massive over-use of Tamiflu for the last few years, propelled by patients who see it as a miracle recovery drug - notably they tend have not utilised the vaccines for the strain that were provide.

Such widespread misuse was bound to lead to the quick development of a resistant strain.

by Metatone (metatone [a|t] gmail (dot) com) on Fri Jan 9th, 2009 at 09:18:20 AM EST
[ Parent ]
The makers of Tamiflu made a lot of money selling it and now they can develop another drug and sell that one instead.

What's not to like?

Most economists teach a theoretical framework that has been shown to be fundamentally useless. -- James K. Galbraith

by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Fri Jan 9th, 2009 at 09:36:26 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Dying of flu in the meantime.
by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Fri Jan 9th, 2009 at 10:02:38 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Market-driven demand destruction.

Most economists teach a theoretical framework that has been shown to be fundamentally useless. -- James K. Galbraith
by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Fri Jan 9th, 2009 at 10:11:07 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Heh. And I thought I was twisted. :)

The fact is that what we're experiencing right now is a top-down disaster. -Paul Krugman
by dvx (dvx.clt ät gmail dotcom) on Fri Jan 9th, 2009 at 10:23:29 AM EST
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Perhaps the sticky issue being that they haven't developed another drug yet?
by Metatone (metatone [a|t] gmail (dot) com) on Fri Jan 9th, 2009 at 10:24:01 AM EST
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How is that trolling? It's obviously true (and one instance of a much larger global problem).

I posted this item as much because it appealed to my dark and twisted sense of... somethingorother ... as for its news value.

The fact is that what we're experiencing right now is a top-down disaster. -Paul Krugman

by dvx (dvx.clt ät gmail dotcom) on Fri Jan 9th, 2009 at 10:22:51 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Gut reflex from some other websites where questioning the balance between public health and patient desires isn't welcome.
by Metatone (metatone [a|t] gmail (dot) com) on Fri Jan 9th, 2009 at 10:25:07 AM EST
[ Parent ]
"desires" not needs?

The fact is that what we're experiencing right now is a top-down disaster. -Paul Krugman
by dvx (dvx.clt ät gmail dotcom) on Fri Jan 9th, 2009 at 10:30:05 AM EST
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Typo - I meant to say "public health needs" and "patient desires" - if that makes more sense...
by Metatone (metatone [a|t] gmail (dot) com) on Fri Jan 9th, 2009 at 10:45:23 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Public health wrt infectious diseases isn't exactly the best environment for individual liberty...

Un roi sans divertissement est un homme plein de misères
by linca (antonin POINT lucas AROBASE gmail.com) on Fri Jan 9th, 2009 at 10:48:07 AM EST
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Communist! Individual liberty is nonnegotiable.

Most economists teach a theoretical framework that has been shown to be fundamentally useless. -- James K. Galbraith
by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Fri Jan 9th, 2009 at 10:54:42 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Well, in the US system, germs' individual liberty is respected...

"Dieu se rit des hommes qui se plaignent des conséquences alors qu'ils en chérissent les causes" Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet
by Melanchthon on Fri Jan 9th, 2009 at 11:02:28 AM EST
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