Drug companies should change objective

To the editor:

Prudent individuals and organizations strive to conserve the resource upon which they depend. Responsible farmers conserve their soil for themselves and future generations. Hunters join organizations like Pheasants Forever or Ducks Forever. Such actions may involve using less of the resource now to preserve that resource for the future.

A notable exception to this type of thinking appears to be the drug companies. The resource for the drug companies is payments from the public. Government and insurance company payments for drugs ultimately relate to higher taxes or higher premiums paid by the public. It seems that the drug companies give little thought to conserving their resource which is the publics' ability to continue to pay. They simply want all the money as soon as possible. Hence, we are presented with articles indicating prices of as much as $1,000 per pill for a medicine necessary to keep a seriously ill person alive. News items such as this may be accompanied by a warning of rising drug prices.

Drug companies play a vital role in maintaining the public health, and their principal concern, which appears to be making as much money as possible quickly as possible, needs an adjustment. Somehow, the sale of life-promoting drugs is not the same as the sale of cars or televisions. When members of the public are deprived of needed medication due to cost, a moral and ethical concern should be raised and appropriate changes brought about.

Robert J. Boes

Ely