⭐️ Social ⭐️ Why are pharmaceutical opioids much more expensive than benzos?

[cowardescent]

I remember when living in America my mother was prescribed Vicodin for her migraines. She had to stop though after our health insurance stopped paying for it as it's very expensive. €50 for 50 pills. I on the other hand was put on Xanax and 50 pills cost around $10 and that's without insurance.

I've heard it's because Xanax and Valium have been around much longer and thus the patent on the drugs expired allowing other companies to make generics.

 

[negrogesic]

Some of it comes from its more restricted status. Drugs like oxycodone are also more expensive to produce.

 

[morphineoxysbenzos]

Benzos are made pretty cheap in a lab. Poppies are basically made illegal everywhere in the world and grown in a country that's occupied by the US military while the US is the country that consumes the most opiates/opioids in the world and the demand is huge but the supply is artificially cut off. Poppies can grow really easily and in third world countries you can buy 200mg of codeine for $2

 

[AlphaMethylPhenyl]

Good question. Guessing here, I'd imagine that they wouldn't be used as much in the states if the uninsured price was higher, given questionable benefit. People really need opioids, but they don't need benzos nearly as much. Opioids are necessary for many forms of pain, whereas benzos are usually more of an icing on top of the cake for inconvenience--more legitamate demand=higher price. Also agree with that's is a more expensive process making most opioids. Europe and the US also don't have great climates for growing poppies, so the shipping cost factors into things.