Since Walgreens Pharmacy acquired TakeCare Health Clinics, its executives have been bragging about how Walgreens represents health care reform in action.
Walgreens contends that they possess the formula for low-cost, high-quality health services that could end America’s health care crisis. These remarks are nothing more than deception intended to shift the focus away from the main purpose of the entire private health care system in America: profit.
In the company’s latest endeavor, the administration of H1N1 flu vaccinations, they epitomize the practices that have led to rising profits and unattainable medical care for tens of millions of Americans.
Health care companies within the capitalist system exist solely to make and ever increase their profits. Under capitalism, human needs are routinely trampled in the mad pursuit of profits. And Walgreen’s idea of “health care reform in action” is no different.
Walgreens Pharmacies received H1N1 vaccinations from the federal government at no cost, to be administered at all pharmacy locations. The vaccinations are entirely funded by taxpayers. Yet, Walgreens is charging patients $18 for each vaccination.
The company contends that the fee is for the administration of the vaccination—additional payroll, supplies and marketing/media support costs. In reality, the vast majority of the administration fee is being retained as profit and used for expenses that will result in future profits.
The additional payroll expenses represent a minor, almost non-existent expense. The additional supplies expense, which consists of such low-cost items as cotton swabs and syringes, would comprise a negligible portion of the administration fee.
The administration fee will not result in additional compensation for the pharmacists administering the vaccinations. PSLweb.org spoke with several Philadelphia/New Jersey-area pharmacy managers who were specifically told not to add additional payroll hours and were forbidden to allow overtime during the period of H1N1 administration.
This outrageous display of greed is the rule and not the exception in U.S. capitalist society. The capitalist system only distributes necessary services—health care for example—as long as the capitalists can receive an ever-increasing rate of profit. That is why such a large portion of the population in the richest nation in the history of the world is suffering unemployment, homelessness and a lack of health care. While socialist countries like Cuba, that have considerably less wealth, can maintain near full employment, housing for all and high-quality universal health care.
