Ikigai, Optimism, and the Prescription Drug Pricing Puzzle

Live Longer!

• Finding your ‘ikigai’ or purpose in life can help you stay motivated, happy, and
  resilient. A study of Japanese centenarians found that having a sense of purpose was associated with lower mortality and better cognitive function. Ikigai is a Japanese concept that means “a reason for being” or “a reason for living”. It is the point where your passion, mission, vocation, and profession intersect. Finding your ikigai can help you live a more meaningful, fulfilling, and happy life.
• There are different ways to find your ikigai, but one common method is to use a four-circle diagram that asks you the following questions:
   
• What do you love doing?
• What are you good at?
• What can you get paid for?
• What does the world need?
  
• Being more optimistic can also boost your longevity. A meta-analysis of 15
  studies involving over 200,000 participants showed that optimism was linked to a lower risk of death from various causes, such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, and infection.
• Showing gratitude, writing down or journaling what you are thankful for is a
  powerful antidote to depression. “Gratitude can make us more resilient, and
  enhance relationships by strengthening romantic ties, bolstering friendships, and creating family bonds that endure during times of crisis. It also improves many health indicators, such as blood pressure and diet.”
• As we have mentioned before, eating a healthy diet that is rich in fruits,
  vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and fish can lower your risk of chronic diseases and extend your lifespan. A large study of over 700,000 people found that adhering to a Mediterranean diet was associated with a 10% lower mortality rate.
• Staying physically active can improve your health and well-being in many ways. It can strengthen your muscles, bones, and joints, enhance your cardiovascular and respiratory systems, prevent obesity and diabetes, and reduce stress and depression. The World Health Organization recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity per week for adults. Just 20 minutes per day of moderate intensity exercise meets the WHO’s recommendations. 
• Taking some drugs that target the ageing process may also have potential
  benefits for extending healthy life. For example, metformin, a drug used to treat type 2 diabetes, has been shown to delay ageing and increase lifespan in animals. It is currently being tested in a clinical trial called TAME (Targeting
  Aging with Metformin) to see if it can prevent or delay age-related diseases in
  humans. More to follow on the benefit of long-term metformin use.

 

The Business Around Your Healthcare

 

For most Americans, the “output” of their healthcare is the prescription medications that they are prescribed. According to the Health Policy Institute, about 66% of U.S. adults take prescription drugs. The CDC reports that about 46% of U.S. adults have taken a prescription drug in the past 30 days.

• Drug prices are rising faster than inflation: According to a report by AARP, the cost of prescription drugs increased by 4.8% between 2019 and 2020, which was more than three times higher than the general inflation rate of 1.3%. The report also found that the average annual cost of brand-name drugs used by older Americans was $7,390 in 2020, which was more than four times higher than in 2006.
• Drug prices vary widely across different drugs and regions: A study by RAND Corporation found that the US drug prices were 2.56 times higher than the prices in 32 other countries in 2018. However, the study also noted that the price gap varied significantly across different classes of drugs and different countries. For example, the US prices for antineoplastic drugs (used to treat cancer) were 3.44 times higher than the international average, while the prices for nervous system drugs were 1.85 times higher. Similarly, the US prices were 4.36 times higher than the prices in the United Kingdom, but only 1.33 times higher than the prices in Canada.
• Drug prices are influenced by market power and regulation: One of the main reasons why drug prices are high in the US is the lack of effective price regulation and negotiation by the government and other payers. Unlike most other countries, the US does not have a national health system that can leverage its bargaining power to negotiate lower prices with drug manufacturers. Instead, the US relies on a complex and fragmented system of private insurers, public programs, and pharmacy benefit managers, each with different degrees of market power and incentives. Moreover, the US grants longer and stronger patent and exclusivity rights to drug makers, which limits the entry and competition of generic and biosimilar drugs.
• Drug prices are a major public concern and policy priority: The high and rising drug prices have a significant impact on the health and well-being of millions of Americans who rely on prescription drugs for their medical needs. A survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that 79% of the public said that the cost of prescription drugs was unreasonable, and 29% said that they had not taken their medicines as prescribed due to the cost. The survey also found that lowering drug costs was the top health policy priority for the US Congress, with 88% of the public saying that it was very or extremely important. Several legislative proposals have been introduced to address the issue of drug pricing, such as allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices, imposing inflation caps on drug price increases, and importing drugs from other countries.

These are some of the ways that drug costs are changing in America. If you want to
learn more, you can check out these articles:

• Why Prescription Drug Prices in the US Are So High
• The U.S. Can Lower Drug Prices Without Sacrificing Innovation
• Prescription Drug Prices in the United States Are 2.56 Times Higher Than in
  Other Countries
• US Public’s Perspective on Prescription Drug Costs
• How Rising Health Care Costs Are Affecting American Consumers

Take Action

Make some noise with your representatives and demand action on the high cost of drugs. Let them hear your voices.

• Phone: Calling your representative directly or calling the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 is a quick and easy way to voice your opinion or request. You can use this service to find your representative by ZIP code. You can also use this guide for first-time callers to prepare your message and make a good impression.
• Email: Emailing your representative is a convenient and paperless way to
  communicate your views or concerns. You can use this service to find your
  representative’s website and contact page. You can also use this site to write a clear and concise email, with the help of AI, that states your purpose, position, and request. Try this site as well.

 

Have a great weekend friends.

 

Matt McCord, MD
Founder, Benesan.org

 

Disclaimer: I am not your doctor. We don’t have that kind of a relationship. The information shared here should not be viewed as medical advice. For that matter, no newsletter should ever be viewed as medical advice!