Pharmaceutical companies - are they immoral or life savers?

Some people think that drug companies charge way too much for the drugs they produce for the medical profession. Is it right that a company should make profits from other peoples' illnesses? Should pharmaceutical companies provide free drugs to poor countries, or continue to make as much profit as possible from them? Should drug development and production be allowed to be under the control of private companies to make a profit from such things, or should it be part of the NHS?

A large part of the cost of running the NHS is down to the cost of drugs, so should these companies provide these drugs cheaper to the government than to other customers?

I have to admit that these companies are my pet hate. I fond it disgusting that these companies make money from other peoples’ suffering, and refuse to give their drugs to people in the third world that can’t afford to pay full price.

Their excuse for making such huge profits is that they then use those profits to fund research and development on new drugs, but it doesn’t seem to stop them from making huge payouts to their share holders. I say stop paying your share holders so much and reduce the price of your drugs instead.

They claim to be providing vital products for mankind as if they are complete saints, but their behaviour denies that lie every time.

Surely the same criticisms could be made of any company which produces necessities, such as purifying water, producing electricity, many foods?
I agree that it would be better if the NHS had more direct involvement with research. I doubt that the government would agree to this, though, as it would be too much like a nationalised industry and it would affect competition between pharmaceutical companies.

This is true, and this topic has been raised under Business is Business, as to whether certain commodities should be made and sold from private companies or nationalised.

Oh! I hadn't seen that. I'll look at it now!

Glad to have helped.