A month’s supply of Miebo, Bausch & Lomb’s prescription dry eye drug, costs $800 or more in the U.S. before insurance. But the same drug — sold as EvoTears — has been available over-the-counter (OTC) in Europe since 2015 for about $20. I ordered it online from an overseas pharmacy for $32 including shipping, and it was delivered in a week.
This is, of course, both shocking and unsurprising. A 2021 RAND study found U.S. prescription drug prices are, on average, more than 2.5 times higher than in 32 other developed nations. Miebo exemplifies how some pharmaceutical companies exploit regulatory loopholes and patent protections, prioritizing profits over patients, eroding trust in health care. But there is a way to fix this loophole.
