Type 1 Diabetes Patients are a Cornered Market
by Katherine Millsap
Some of the sliest ways that Planned Obsolescence is
integrated into our society is through the guise of innovation in Healthcare and Medical Devices. For example, Type 1 Diabetes medicines and
devices are routinely replaced with upgrades or new product lines that
demonstrate very little difference from the previous generation. In an article Dr. Roy Pose is quoted as
saying “That captive audience of Type 1 diabetics has spawned lines
of high-priced gadgets and disposable accouterments, borrowing business
models from technology companies like Apple: Each pump and monitor requires the
separate purchase of an array of items that are often brand and model specific.” Each new model of Type 1 Diabetes monitoring
devices that come out have new disposable parts that need to be purchased
regularly.
https://t1dexchange.org/pages/t1d-exchange-to-study-insulin-and-device-use-for-type-1-diabetes-management/
The medical device companies use the
same disguise that the pharmaceutical industry use for their exorbitant prices
and long-lasting patents- that the high cost provides them the financial means
to continue to innovate. Making
products that are disposable and designed to only work with one generation of
product lines is Planned Obsolescence. However,
these companies use the guise of innovation when marketing accounts for over
twice the spending as new drug development and innovation.
Unlike the clothing or technology industries, patients
utilizing products that practice Planned Obsolescence have much less control
over their purchasing decisions. They
purchase what their insurance will pay the most for, what their doctors
suggest, or what they’ve seen in one of the many direct-to-consumer
advertisements they’ve see on T.V.
So the real question is:
If we want to fight against Planned Obsolescence, how do we do that when
we have to purchase an item for our health and life?
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