Insulin is a vital drug that some 7.4 million Americans must take daily to manage their diabetes. But its price nearly doubled from 2012 to 2016, leaving some patients with no choice but to turn to black-market drugs or traveling to Canada, where insulin can be 90 percent cheaper. Special correspondent Sarah Varney reports on the skyrocketing cost of insulin — and the trend’s deadly consequences.
Insulin, a lifesaving drug for some 7.5 million americans who have diabetes. the costs remain an enormous burden for some patients. the midwest in order to buy insulin in london, our story was produced in collaboration with kaiser health news. to arrange last-minute logistics for the trip to canada. life and other type 1 diabetics in the u.s., the exorbitant cost
Of insulin. she was diagnosed with type 1 at 13 and hated but when her parents sent her to a camp for so i just started posting that on my social she now expedites transfers of black market insulin. even with insurance, nystrom herself pays and with a special-needs daughter and a tight people that work full-time, have children, it’s not a feasible thing. producers,
Eli lilly, novo nordisk, and sanofi, and investigated price-fixing. and, in minnesota, people like nicole smith-holt her son alec, a type 1 diabetic, died because he couldn’t afford the drug. when alec turned 26, he was no longer allowed but the pharmacist told him a month’s supply would be $1,300. when did you first get word that something had gone terribly wrong?
He wasn’t answering his door and he wasn’t answering his phone. and she was able to climb in through his bedroom insulin, acid dangerously builds up in the bloodstream. prevented it somehow, or i should have seen it wasn’t long before, you know, my sadness turned into anger. did you think at that point this — alec’s and i was reluctant to share the story at want to hear,
You know, our sad story about alec passing away? every single type 1 diabetic in the world like smith-holt are making these trips to unlike in the u.s., the canadian government so they traveled through wisconsin, illinois, ride today, but we’re being forced to do this and sanofi blame high-deductible insurance in lower out-of-pocket costs for most patients at the pharmacy.
The companies all say they offer coupons and the patients we talked to said it was difficult some 16 hours later, the bus crosses the border multiple pharmacies have turned the group away, not wanting the media attention. at a pharmacy inside, one by one, they fill it was here in london, ontario, at this house dr. banting sold the patent for $1 to the university of toronto.
Nicole smith-holt says if she only knew she and in a quiet, painful moment at the banting for the “pbs newshour” and kaiser health news, i’m sarah varney in london, ontario.
Transcribed from video
Skyrocketing cost of insulin pushes Americans to buy drug in Canada By PBS NewsHour
