When Large Pharmaceutical Companies Merge, How Does it Affect the Patient?

Companies merge all the time, but usually the merger between two companies does not affect people in a direct way. That’s not the case when pharmaceutical companies merge. When large drug companies come together they bring with them medical knowledge and disseminate it to the joining companies. When two companies merge there are a lot of different moving parts. The larger company can get bogged down with the process. There can be merging of cultures, firing staff, managing patient expectations and rewriting business plans.

One of the largest drug companies, Pfizer, recently made a bid to buy Wyeth, a competing pharmaceutical company. This move would have affected patients drastically, with changes to their medication, time of delivery and the way in which medication is sent to pharmacies and online prescription services.

Obviously a big move like this would affect the patient base, but what will the long lasting implications be for such mergers?

1. Are the companies developing new drugs? If one of the companies is in the process of creating new drugs, then who does the patent go to and will the drug be changed to fit another market segment? If there is a new drug that online doctors can recommend to their patients, how long before it is seen on the market? There are a lot of moving pieces and this change affects patients who get a prescription from a doctor online. Online doctors have marketed their business around providing quick online medical consultations, as well as speed and accuracy of online prescriptions. If big pharma companies change the drugs provided, then it will be a problem for patients and online doctors.

2. Do the companies offer competing medications? What if a company buys another that makes a competitive drug, especially one that is better? Will they phase out one drug and only offer the other? If you hear news of a pharmaceutical merger then you should ask your online prescription service about the news. A doctor online can provide details about the potential merger and how it will affect their patients.

3. Increasing drug prices. What happens if the two companies merge and then decide to raise your online prescription cost? It could happen; there is nothing to stop merging companies from overhauling their business to make it more profitable. Of course this comes to a loss for the patient and the online doctor, who both have to eat the increased cost. They could even change the medication, which would require further FDA testing, to less costly ingredients, while upping the cost anyway.

If you get an online prescription from an online doctor then you should take their advice. They are suffering the same problems with pharmaceutical mergers as you are and can easily provide you with information about changes to your medication. Remember, your online doctor is there to help you, so take their advice and get yourself well.

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