Through the years, we’ve learned not to underestimate the lengths to which institutions and individuals will go to protect their bottom lines. We like to think that no bad behavior can surprise us anymore—but then we learn better. Last year, we found a pharmaceutical company seeking the financially advantageous “orphan” drug designation for a drug it said was for a rare disease. The disease was COVID-19.
When we put all the examples of Shkreli-like behavior together, they stop looking like anecdotes and start looking like evidence. That’s the point of the awards: to highlight the structural weaknesses in health care that allow this kind of behavior to occur.
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"Covid was like a blinding flash, a glare of x-ray that revealed the flaws, fragmentation, and dysfunction going on the health care system," said Dr. Vikas Saini.
"Most of this behavior is not illegal, it's merely unethical. That's why it's not enough to prosecute, we have to change the cultural norms in health care," said Shannon Brownlee.
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Last year we did an episode on the third annual Shkreli Awards from the Lown Institute – ten examples of profiteering and dysfunction in healthcare. The ins and outs of the healthcare system are the bread and butter of this channel, so we were more than happy to dedicate another episode to the fourth annual Shkreli Awards, and this year’s did not (or did?) disappoint.
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Each year the Lown Institute calls for nominations from health care experts, journalists and others. This year an outstanding panel of judges selected 10 egregious examples of profiteering.
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