drug profit margin
Life Science / Society

Whenever a consumer buys a drug, they are charged a set price for it. However, as the result of a free market economy, the seller of the drug, such as a pharmacy, is able to obtain most drugs from pharmaceutical companies at a discount. The difference in price between what the consumer pays for a drug and what the seller pays for a drug is called the drug's profit margin. The profit that doctors and pharmaceutical companies earn from this system has long been the subject of controversy. It is said that one of the reasons for Tokugawa Pharmaceuticals's success can be attributed to Tokugawa bringing this system of high drug prices, seen before in post-war Japan, to Beyond Coast. The problems of the high drug profit margin and over-prescription of drugs have been quietly talked about between medical professionals in recent years, but pressure from Tokugawa has prevented the enactment of any reforms. This profiteering has been criticized by some on Earth, with people calling Beyond a "colony of drug victims". This delicate situation makes a separation of Beyond Coast's medical industry still unfeasible for the time being.