A Call to Action- Insulin Prices

 Type one diabetics have a condition that causes their pancreas to stop producing a hormone known as insulin. Insulin is one of the hormones in the human body that lowers the sugar levels in the bloodstream and converts carbohydrates in food into energy that is usable by the body. Type one Diabetics instead get their insulin from artificial sources and inject it using a syringe or a portable IV device called an insulin pump. 

The first types insulin designed to treat Type 1 Diabetics were pig, dog and cow insulin, it was difficult to extract and very expensive because of this. The scientist who discovered the method of extraction, Fredrick Banting, made the patent for the process free, but the process being as complicated as it was, still remained very expensive to obtain and sometimes caused allergic and immune reactions due to the insulin being from animals. Modern Type 1 Diabetics now get their insulin synthesized in laboratories on an industrial scale from genetically modified e-coli or yeast organisms that can be bred at will and scaled up or down easily. These genetically modified means of production also replicate human insulin, meaning that there is no risk of allergic reaction or rejection. 

Despite all the improvements made to insulin production, in the United States it still remains incredibly expensive. A single vial of insulin (roughly a 1 month supply) can cost up to $250.00. This is somehow up from a price of only 25 dollars per vial in 1997 even though technology has improved. On top of this cost, the diabetic also needs to pay for fresh syringes, and equipment to test their blood glucose levels. For a Type 1 Diabetic, insulin is not an optional medication. Going without it means a very unpleasant death due to diabetic ketoacidosis. So, due to greed from the pharmaceutical industry, Type 1 Diabetics are essentially saddled with a tax on life of a minimum of $3000.00 USD per year.  Due to this cost many diabetics close to the northern or southern US borders choose to buy their insulin from those countries at a much, much lower rate- less than 10 USD per vial in Mexico, and around 30 USD in Canada. Unfortunately many Diabetics also die because they cannot afford their medications and pharmaceutical companies know they have a captive market and continue to raise prices ever higher. 

Legislation needs to be undertaken to lower the price of insulin and other life saving medicines immediately- no one's life deserves to be held for ransom.