In the context of post op painkillers, the cost of this pill is a drop in the bucket vs cost of hospitalization. The alternative to inflated drug prices is not having the drugs or, I guess, nationalizing the pharmaceutical companies? I don't think you'll get many takers for that plan tho.
That’s expensive today, yes, but it’s so hella expensive to bring a drug to market at all. I don’t mind a brand new drug costing $30/dose for a short term. That’s way more understandable than insulin or asthma inhalers going up 400%.