The massive difference in the price of medicine in India versus the United States of America has captivated the Internet.
A TikTok video from April 12 comparing drug prices in India to prices in the US was cross-posted to Reddit and X on May 14, where discussion about sky-high healthcare costs in the US ensued.
The original video posted by Dr. Dave, an ICU doctor, has nearly 300,000 views and over 2000 comments on TikTok. Commenters across platforms lashed out at the US healthcare system in response to Dr. Dave’s video.
Cost of medicine in India vs. US goes viral
However, plenty of others on social media are asserting that comparing drug prices between two vastly different countries is not so easy. They pointed out that Dr. Dave’s price comparisons didn’t include context about income disparity or differences in legislation.
Dr. Dave shares content about healthcare on TikTok. In the caption for his post about drug pricing, the creator claimed, “Drug prices in India are anywhere from 2-100x cheaper than in the U.S.” He adds that pricing data is from 1mg.com, an Indian online pharmacy.
@drchintandave Drug prices in India are anywhere from 2-100x cheaper than in the US! Especially critical medications such as insulin, HIV meds, etc. If you want to compare drug prices, go to 1mg.com. There you can directly look up any drug prices in India and se show they compare! #doctor #nurse #medicine #pharmacy #medication ♬ original sound – Dr. Dave
In the viral video, Dr. Dave led viewers on a tour of a local pharmacy in India. He aimed to emphasize the disparity in drug pricing between India and the US.
Dr. Dave said, “One of the best things about India is that you could go to any local pharmacy without a doctor’s prescription and get almost any medication you want for a fraction of the cost.”
He went on to list common drugs, their uses, and the cost in each country:
- Insulin, Metformin: $5—10 per vial in India vs $200—300 in the US
- Amoxlav: $3.50 for 10 day course in India vs $86 in the US
- Prednisone, steroids: $.50 for 5mg/10 day supply in India vs $30 in the US
- Tanaocavir, HIV medication: $20—$40 monthly in India vs $2000—$3000 in the US
- Simbicort, treats Asthma and COPD: $3—$10 per inhaler vs almost $300 in the US
America the beautiful, land of the premium
Many voiced concerns about the high prices of drugs in the US and traced the issue back to big pharma and the US government.
“America the beautiful,” commented u/Mean_Rule9823. u/hypremier replied, “Land of the premium.”
“Everything about America is a scam, nothing about that country is for the people,” said @thulindlo.
@Sorinake_Jordan said, “Americans are being robbed by big pharma!”
“In the USA, health is a business,” commented @karakulowsky.
“In India, you get meds, in the US, you get paperwork and a payment plan,” said @DarkRazielCode.
@ankurgzp said, “India is a supreme power in the medical field, while Trump is busy adding tariffs and doesn’t care about the health of the people.”
Comparing drug prices isn’t as simple as it seems
Others shared that without adjusting to compensate for income disparity between the two countries, one-to-one comparisons of drug prices are not a useful metric for assessing effectiveness in healthcare systems.
“Medicine prices in the USA are shit, but it’s not a good idea to compare only the price. If you adjust this to the regular salary in India, the medicine prices are really high,” commented @momotaros_fr.
Or, as @MarcokanM put it, “Median income, US—$6000/month. India—$108/month.”
@mrshelby101 got in the weeds on other relevant factors like the production and sale of generic drugs, as well as deregulated price control and marketing in the US.
“India’s regulatory environment allows for the production and sale of generic medicines soon after the expiration of patents, fostering competition and driving down prices. The U.S., however, has a more complex patent system that can delay the entry of generics into the market, maintaining high prices for longer periods.”
@mrshelby101 added, “Additionally, the lack of centralized price control in the U.S. means pharmaceutical companies can set prices based on market demand, often resulting in exorbitant costs for patients.”
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