[jariel]

It has benefits but also obviously drawbacks.

Ambien is not available in Canada for example.

One of the things about hard negotiations is that sometimes the other side will call the bluff and walk away.

And of course in rationed systems you don't get things that 'the masters' decide you don't need, like Ambien.

In the case of Ambien, I don't care, I question the real medical value of it, but you can see how that could get out of hand with other things.

It would better to solve the 're-import' problem with better regulation - and of course, initiatives such as the the MC Company here.

I think the Cleveland Clinic and some others like it are technically non-profits, there are models that work.

[arcticbull]

The thing about MC company is they have no obligation to keep their pricing or business model moving forward. They can sell to an insurer or pharma company or just raise their margins. This is good but shouldn’t be integral.