Reckless ReMarcs: Mylan CEO in Hot Seat for Drastic EpiPen Pricing
The Remarc:
In an interview with CNBC on Thursday, Mylan CEO Heather Bresch received massive criticism in attempt to vindicate her company’s skyrocketing EpiPen prices. She claimed,“No one is more frustrated than me”.
The Issue:
Heather Bresch was the one who boosted the price of EpiPens by 400% in the first place. Not to mention, she gave herself a more than generous raise of over $16 million from 2007 to 2015. Let’s be real, how frustrated can Bresch really be, living in her enormous mansion in Sewickley, Pennsylvania while patients struggle to afford life or death allergy treatment.
The Fix:
Strike one: When Bresch jacked up the price of the drug. Strike two: Her ludicrous excuse. “No one is more frustrated than me.” I can imagine a parent who can no longer pay for the drug that might prevent their child’s death, might be more frustrated than her. Bresch doesn’t need a shot in the thigh, she needs a proverbial kick in the tush. Apologize and bring the price back down. Swallow your pride and admit you made a mistake. Here’s what that could look like:
“First I would like to apologize for the EpiPen price increase. It was a terribly poor judgement on my part and I am taking immediate action to drastically decrease the price of EpiPens to make them more affordable for the public. Along with the price drop, the discounts will be accepted whether you have coupons or not. And I will be embarking on a tour to meet with children, parents and other allergy sufferers to learn how my mistake has impacted them.”