DZ.
>>> CONSUMER ALERT NOW.
DRUG PRICE GOUGING.
>> COMMON AILMENT FORTH KIDS
THAT USED TO COST A COUPLE
DOLLARS TO TREAT NOW COST YOU
HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS.
ALL OUT-OF-POCKET.
PARENTS ARE SHOCKED.
>> NOT FAIR AT ALL.
ALL KINDS OF DRUG FOR INSTANCE
EVEN GROWN PEOPLE DRUG THREE OR
FOUR00 DOLLARS A PRESCRIPTION.
I CAN'T AFFORD THAT.
SO YES, IT'S RIDICULOUS.
NOT FAIR.
>> THAT ONE PILL IS A LOT.
THOUSANDS OFFICE DOLLARS.
>>Reporter: HOOK WORM ROUND
WORM VERY COMMON INFECTION TO
CONTRACT IN FACT ONE OF 4
PEOPLE DO.
TREAT WITH POPULAR PILL BUT AS
NICKY EXPLAINS THE PRICE FOR A
SIMPLE PRESCRIPTION HAS JUST
SKY ROCKETED.
>> THE PRICE FOR THE
PRESCRIPTION TO CURE THE
DIFFERENT TYPES OF WORMS USED
TO COST YOU 3 DOLLARS A PILL
HERE IN THE UNITED STATES.
NOW IT WILL COST YOU BETWEEN 5
AND 600 DOLLARS FOR THE VERY
SAME PILL.
DOCTORS AND PATIENTS ARE ANGRY
AND BOTH WANT ANSWERS.
HE SEE AS DECENT AMOUNT WITH
WORMS.
MOSTLY PIN WORM THE MOST COMMON
TYPE OF INTESTINAL WORM
INFECTION.
TREATMENT IS EASY.
ONE LITTLE PILL AND THEY ARE
USUALLY GONE.
SO WHEN HE PRESCRIBED IT THIS
WEEK, HE WAS SHOCKED.
>> THE PHARMACY CALLED ME ABOUT
AN HOUR LATER SAYING THE
TREATMENT IS ABOUT 1800 DOLLARS
AND IT'S NOT COVERED BY PRETTY
MUCH ANY INSURANCE COMPANY.
>>Reporter: PRICES FOR THE
DRUG HERE THAT GOES UNDER THE
BRAND NAME HERE MULTIPLIED
SEEMINGLY OVERNIGHT.
>> I LITERALLY HAD TO ASK TWIC
>> I LITERALLY HAD TO ASK
TWICE.
YOU MUST BE JOKING.
>>Reporter: IT'S NOT A JOKE.
IT'S SOMETHING PHARMACIST GARY
ROBERTS SEES HAPPEN A LOT.
>> LOSER IS THE PATIENT.
>>Reporter: PRICES USUALLY
SPIKE BECAUSE OF SUPPLY AND
DEMAND OR RESEARCH AND
DEVELOPMENT BUT IN SOME CASES
HE SAYS PRICES MULTIPLY BECAUSE
THERE IS NOTHING STOPPING THESE
COMPANIES FROM CHARGING WHAT
THEY WANT.
>> HOW MUCH PROFIT IS TOO MUCH
PROFIT?
THAT'S THE QUESTION THIS NEEDS
TO BE ASKED.
>>Reporter: WHILE THERE ARE
NEW STEPS FROM PRESIDENT TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION TO PREVENT STEEP
INCREASE INS DRUG PRICES, RIGHT
NOW IT'S PERFECTLY LEGAL AND
THERE ARE NO REGULATIONS IN
PLACE TO STOP COMPANIES FROM
NAMING THEIR PRICE.
THIS DRUG IS ONE PRICE HIKE
EXAMPLE BUT IN THIS CASE THERE
COULD BE A SPECIFIC REASON.
THIS DRUG COULD HELP FIGHT
CANCER.
>> AS SOON AS THERE WAS SOME
DATA THAT POTENTIAL THAT HE
WILL CLASS MEDICATION CAN HAVE
ANTI-CANCER BENEFITS, THAT'S
WHERE LITERALLY THIS HAPPENED
AND THE PRICES WENT UP 40,000
PERCENT.
SO THEY HAVE TO BE LINKED.
>>Reporter: THE DOCK STORIES
REFERRING TO CLINICAL TRIAL AT
JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY.
BY ACCIDENT THE THIS DRUG WAS
FOUND POSSIBLY STOP BRAIN
CANCER IN MICE.
BACK IN 2012 RESEARCH BEGAN TO
TRY AND PROOF THE DRUG COULD
STOP CANCER.
IN 2015 IMPACT LABORATORY
ACQUIRED ALL THE RIGHTS TO THE
DRUG WHEN WE ASKED WHY THE
PRICE IS SO HIGH, IMPACT
SPOKESMAN DONOHUE HAD THONL
RESPONSE.
THE NAME BRAND FOR THIS DRUG IS
THE ONLY FDA APPROVED
PRESCRIPTION TREATMENT FOR PIN
WORM WITH 95 PERCENT CURE RATE
IN A SINGLE TABLET.
HE ADDED THAT THE COMPANY
OFFERS A SAVINGS CARD ON THE
WEB SITE.
DONOHUE SAID HE COULDN'T
COMMENT ON THE CANCER RESEARCH.
>> MEDICATION AROUND FOR 40 OR
50 YEARS AND THAT'S AVAILABLE
EVERYWHERE ELSE FOR PENNY ON
THE DOLLAR AND YOU SUDDENLY
CHARGE 500 DOLLARS A PILL FOR,
BECAUSE YOU FOUND THE NEW
BENEFIT, LOOKS KIND OF
UNETHICAL.
>>Reporter: WHILE THERE'S A
HUGE RISK OF BUYING DRUGS ON
LINE AND OUT OF THE COUNTRY,
THIS DOCTOR IS DOING SOMETHING
HE NEVER THOUGHT HE WOULD.
>> PHYSICIAN I HAVE TO TELL
PATIENTS HERE'S A PRESCRIPTION
AND ORDER IT FROM ON LINE
PHARMACY OR LITERALLY BUY IT
OFF EBAY WHICH IS YOU CAN GO TO
EBAY AND BUY THE SAME
MEDICATION FOR 10 DOLARS. IS
SOMETHING THAT USUALLY YOU
WOULD BE ABSOLUTELY AGAINST,
RIGHT.
>> 100 PERCENT BUT WHAT CHOICE
DO WE HAVE?
>>Reporter: THERE ARE SEVERAL
OVER THE COUNTER MEDICATION
LIKE THIS ONE THAT CAN BE USED
TO TREAT PIN WORM BUT DO THE
DOCTOR SAYS THE SIDE EFFECTS
ARE AN ISSUE ESPECIALLY WITH
SMALL KID.
>> VOMITING.
DIARRHEA.
POSSIBLE NEUROTOXIN.
SO IT'S NOT REALLY A GREAT
REPLACEMENT.
THERE IS AN OPTION BUT IT'S NOT
EVEN CLOSE.
>>Reporter: IF A PATIENT HAS
PRESCRIPTION FOR THIS DRUG,
DOCTORS ARE 100 PERCENT WITHIN
THE LEGAL RIGHT TIME PORT THAT
FROM ANOTHER COUNTRY AND YOU
CAN DO THAT THROUGH ON LINE
PHARMACY WITH PRICE WEST FOUND
WHILE SEARCHING THE INTERNET
EVEN IF YOU PAID FOR OVERNIGHT
SHIPPING WOULD YOU STILL SAVING
HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS. BUT THE
DOCTOR SAYS BEFORE BUYING ANY
DRUG ON LINE, OR FROM OUT OF
COUNTRY, YOU NEED TO TALK TO
YOUR DOCTOR FIRST, CHANNEL 4,