Why Is Propecia So Expensive?

My dermatologist did not feel comfortable prescribing Proscar for my MPB so I have been stuck taking and paying for Propecia.

I know that no generic form is legally available in the U.S. and “Propecia” is strictly used for cosmetic purposes. However, one would think that since most insurance companies don’t cover the drug it would be more reasonable priced for the average Joe to pay for it out of pocket. So I have a two part question:

1. Why is it so expensive when most people have to pay for it out of pocket?
2. Lastly (and seriously), I don’t know how closely you have been following the 2008 Presidential election but are you aware of any of the two major candidates healthcare or perception drug policies that would lead to lower cost of Propecia (even though it is cosmetic drug).

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Propecia ’08!

I don’t have decent answers to either of your questions, unfortunately… because these aren’t things I have access to. To answer why Propecia is so expensive, you’d have to defer to the company that manufactures it and owns the patents on the drug, Merck. You could speculate all day why drug prices are what they are, but I don’t know of any reason they’ve ever given for a specific price of a specific drug. As far as your second question, who knows if Propecia would be covered by any national health insurance. We have considerable time to wait this one out.

Although you did not ask me about the presidential race, those that play the odds will know that we have not had a hair-challenged president elected to the highest office in the U.S. since the 1950s (Dwight “Ike” Eisenhower), so Obama may be the favorite for those who play “Hairy Politics”.