Roche announced today that it is stopping US wholesale shipments of Tamiflu to prevent “hoarding”. Hoarding is exactly what they are doing. The move will shock wholesalers while people buying in advance of avian flu like me are shocking some retailers. Distributers are the last link in the chain. As they process this news, all retailers will begin to restrict access to Tamiflu. Rationing at a below market price results in the drug not going to people who value it most.
Higher prices put Tamiflu out of range of the bulk of the market. The only way they benefit from the higher prices is indirectly through the higher tax revenues from higher profits in the supply chain or increasingly as shareholders. Rationing benefits people who get the ration cards or whatever. There is an ubounded loss in efficiency when some people who want the drug are turned away because they have money, but do not qualify for a ration. An optimal policy might be a tax on emergency use that is distributed to everyone in the country equally. Don’t expect politicians to adopt that one.
Doctors, pharmacists and drug companies clearly know best exactly how much to provide becaue they are so good at economics. And they are prescribing, dispensing and producing Tamiflu for the good of the country. Perhaps I know better how many doctors, pharmacists and drug companies the country should have. I think there should be a medallion system like taxis.
Michael Griffin spoke at JSC today, and is reported to have said that the Chinese are “five or six years closer to the Moon than we are.”
Depends on what he means by “we.” This statement needs elaboration, and a description of how he thinks that, at their current snail’s pace, the Chinese are going to get to the Moon at all, let alone before “us.” If he means Americans, I’ve no worries at all–the government-copycat Chinese space program is not going to beat private enterprise.
On the other hand, if he means NASA, I suspect he’s right. Of course, the way NASA goes about things, I don’t expect them to get to the Moon before 2040 or so…
Michael Griffin spoke at JSC today, and is reported to have said that the Chinese are “five or six years closer to the Moon than we are.”
Depends on what he means by “we.” This statement needs elaboration, and a description of how he thinks that, at their current snail’s pace, the Chinese are going to get to the Moon at all, let alone before “us.” If he means Americans, I’ve no worries at all–the government-copycat Chinese space program is not going to beat private enterprise.
On the other hand, if he means NASA, I suspect he’s right. Of course, the way NASA goes about things, I don’t expect them to get to the Moon before 2040 or so…
Michael Griffin spoke at JSC today, and is reported to have said that the Chinese are “five or six years closer to the Moon than we are.”
Depends on what he means by “we.” This statement needs elaboration, and a description of how he thinks that, at their current snail’s pace, the Chinese are going to get to the Moon at all, let alone before “us.” If he means Americans, I’ve no worries at all–the government-copycat Chinese space program is not going to beat private enterprise.
On the other hand, if he means NASA, I suspect he’s right. Of course, the way NASA goes about things, I don’t expect them to get to the Moon before 2040 or so…
“They are gouging me–$1,600 for a $700 generator,” complained Aventura resident Jorge Linkewer, who bought the device despite the price. “My kids have medication that needs to be refrigerated.”
Apparently he’d rather have no generator for his kids’ medication at $700, than an actual one for $1600. Because that would have been a likely outcome had the price not increased, to discourage someone from buying one who just wanted to run his big-screen television.