I missed the first part, but a Nationalized pharmacare purchasing plan makes total sense, however I bet its at odds with all of the recent and future trade agreements.

when I was still in school we actually had an assignment related to some studies on a nationalized pharmacare.

Put it this way - it would be crazy NOT to do it. The facts are so overwhelmingly in favor. I'm not sure about current trade agreements - perhaps the TPP will make it impossible.

...get in the way of a good philosophy.

And sorry, I didn't watch the program so I can only comment on the principle of a 'nationalized pharmacare'. Obviously it would be ideal.

However, until the USA started moving toward a public health system, I never realized the power and influence of the pharmaceutical industry.

They own the patent on health in the USA. Americans have their share of quacks and charlatans , but they all have their favorite narcotic and PharmaINC is the only provider. I doubt that they are ready to give up that market to anybody or any government.

I think the TPP will make it worse.



.

Doctors Without Borders has been writing about this for awhile. From one of their pages:

Damaging intellectual property rules in the U.S.-led Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP) would give pharmaceutical companies longer monopolies over brand name drugs. Companies would be able to charge high prices for longer periods of time. And it would be much harder for generic companies to produce cheaper drugs that are vital to people’s health.

http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/help-us-fix-tpp


(And that's about all I can add to this discussion, since I didn't see The National last night.)

I haven't had time to look into this part of the TPP, but a much loved prof of mine railed against the TPP often enough in class that I knew it would probably have an effect.

Thanks for the link!