|
The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) contends that up to 20% Americans have illicitly consumed prescription drugs in their lifetime. Even more disturbing, NIDA's Monitoring The Future survey discovered that over 9% of 12th-graders have consumed Vicodin without a valid prescription in the past year alone!
The abuse of prescription drugs is a major source of concern among the medical community, as the issue has consistently been overlooked by the authorities in favor of the more high profile psychoactive drugs such as cocaine, heroin and their derivatives. This is despite the fact that abuse of prescription drugs stands just behind marijuana as the most reported cases of substance abuse in North America. The easy availability of prescription drugs means that the problem is not one that is going away anytime soon, and we look forward to how our candidates intends to tackle the issue.
|
|
|
Support our website with Google Plus |
|
|
Gingrich Position on Prescription Drugs
|
• Gingrich thinks that our prescription drug policy needs to be overhauled and modernized.
• He supports setting up a database that people can access, modeled on Travelocity, where they can look up and compare who is selling which drugs for what price. Prices vary a lot from store to store. A single inhaler for asthmatics sells for about $6 at a warehouse club, yet a nearby pharmacy charges $88 for the same thing.
• Newt wants people to be able to see their choices.
More on Gingrich
|
|
|
Declared 2012
Libertarian Presidential Candidate
3-Tour Combat Vet, Philosopher and Law Student
RJ Harris
|
 |
|
Harris Position on Prescription Drugs
|
Return healthcare back to the states, tribes and citizens. Put all active duty, guard, reserves and wounded veterans on Medicare, thereby eliminating the inter-service and VA medical systems, and allow service members and veterans to seek care from the best providers.
More on Harris
|
|
|
Declared 2012
Democratic Presidential Candidate
Current President of the United States
Barack Obama
|
 |
|
Obama Position on Prescription Drugs
|
• One of the main proposals of Barack Obama with regards to prescription drugs is to grant permission to the citizens of America to buy safe prescription drugs from other developed countries if the cost is comparatively less. This is in cognizance of the fact that the prices of prescription drugs in America are not only higher but are also constantly on the rise.
• Obama has also proposed lifting of the ban which prevents the Federal Government from negotiating with the pharmaceutical companies with the intention of lowering the prices on the prescription drugs.
• Since prescription drugs are mostly used by the elderly segment of the population under the Medicare plan, Obama has proposed that it should be mandatory on part of all insurance providers providing Medicare to keep their seekers informed about the names of prescription drugs which they use and the payment which they make every year.
• Obama has also forwarded the proposal to close the infamous 'doughnut hole' which has been mentioned in the Medicare part D prescription drug program. This is because the 'doughnut hole' causes the people to incur medical expenditure to the tune of thousands of dollars as it represents a gap in coverage between a lower and a higher amount.
• Through his new proposals, Obama intends to prevent pharmaceutical companies from blocking the introduction of safe and economical generic drugs into the market.
• The new proposals with regards to Medicare prescription drug programs are meant to enable the senior citizens to choose a healthcare plan which would not only help to maintain their good health but would also cost relatively less thus resulting in savings.
More on Obama
|
|
|
|
|
Snyder Position on Prescription Drugs
|
Development of pharmaceuticals is a costly and risky affair, and therefore, rightfully, merits great reward. “Generic” alternatives are affordable, but it takes away the incentive from drug companies which make the investments, do the testing, and risk lawsuits only to see their profits dwindle when other companies “copy” their findings and offer the same drug cheaper.
Snyder believes that if the government insists that prescription drugs be made more affordable to poorer citizens, the government should compensate drug companies with tax cuts or other benefits.
More on Snyder
|
|
|
|
|
|
Support our website with Google Plus |
| Comment on Prescription Drugs |
|
|
