![Setter Emma Lee (9) sets the ball to the middle during the match against Pinewood on Sept. 12. “[I’m looking forward to] getting more skilled, learning more about my position and also becoming better friends with all of my teammates, Emma said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/DSC_4917-2-1200x795.jpg)
![“[Building nerf blasters] became this outlet of creativity for me that hasnt been matched by anything else. The process [of] making a build complete to your desire is such a painstakingly difficult process, but Ive had to learn from [the skills needed from] soldering to proper painting. Theres so many different options for everything, if you think about it, it exists. The best part is [that] if it doesnt exist, you can build it yourself, Ishaan Parate said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/DSC_8149-900x604.jpg)
![“Animation just clicked in a way. I had been interested in art, but that felt different. [Animation] felt like it had something behind it, whereas previous things felt surface level. I wasnt making that crazy of things, but just the process of doing it was much more enjoyable, Carter Chadwick (22) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Screen-Shot-2022-08-16-at-9.44.08-AM-900x598.png)
![“When I came into high school, I was ready to be a follower. But DECA was a game changer for me. It helped me overcome my fear of public speaking, and its played such a major role in who Ive become today. To be able to successfully lead a chapter of 150 students, an officer team and be one of the upperclassmen I once really admired is something Im [really] proud of,” Anvitha Tummala (21) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Screen-Shot-2021-07-25-at-9.50.05-AM-900x594.png)
![“[Volleyball has] taught me how to fall correctly, and another thing it taught is that you don’t have to be the best at something to be good at it. If you just hit the ball in a smart way, then it still scores points and you’re good at it. You could be a background player and still make a much bigger impact on the team than you would think,” Anya Gert (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AnnaGert_JinTuan_HoHPhotoEdited-600x900.jpeg)
![“Im not nearly there yet, but [my confidence has] definitely been getting better since I was pretty shy and timid coming into Harker my freshman year. I know that theres a lot of people that are really confident in what they do, and I really admire them. Everyones so driven and that has really pushed me to kind of try to find my own place in high school and be more confident,” Alyssa Huang (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AlyssaHuang_EmilyChen_HoHPhoto-900x749.jpeg)
![“My slogan is ‘slow feet, don’t eat, and I’m hungry.’ You need to run fast to get where you are–you arent going to get those championships if you arent fast,” Angel Cervantes (12) said. “I want to do well in school on my tests and in track and win championships for my team. I live by that, [and] I can do that anywhere: in the classroom or on the field.”](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/DSC5146-900x601.jpg)
![“I think getting up in the morning and having a sense of purpose [is exciting]. I think without a certain amount of drive, life is kind of obsolete and mundane, and I think having that every single day is what makes each day unique and kind of makes life exciting,” Neymika Jain (12) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Screen-Shot-2017-06-03-at-4.54.16-PM.png)
Increasing the profit margin of life-saving drugs is unethical
Wikimedia Commons
An Epi-Pen style epinephrine auto injector which is the latest version in the USA. Mylan has been bumping the price of the product over the last 7 years.
September 20, 2016
Recently, Mylan, the company that produces the EpiPen, has continually increased the price of the potentially life saving drug. The increase in price for the EpiPen started nearly seven years ago, when the price of the drug was around $100, to today’s price of nearly $600.
It is morally corrupt to increase the price of a life-saving drug, especially if the company has a monopoly on that product. Heather Bresch, the CEO of Mylan, received 19 million dollars after the increase in the price up to 600 dollars. According to TechTimes, the incentive system for top executives at Mylan is the reasoning behind the price increases, as they were encouraged to hit high targets and escalate earnings per share. The price of making of each EpiPen is not even close to the price it is sold at.
According to NBC News, industry insiders estimate that the price of making each EpiPen costs no more than 30 dollars. The major costs of pharmaceutical companies are usually at the research phase, experimenting for new viable drugs. However, Mylan simply purchased the company, rather than coming up with the EpiPen itself, so it is not burdened by those costs which would have made the price hikes more reasonable.
Families of children with severe allergies that would have once been able to afford the drug now have to store and use expired EpiPens in case of an emergency, even though they could not function properly. The price increase is not kind to families that have to choose between putting food on the table and potentially saving their child’s life. Another area that this price increase also affected is schools.
All schools are required to keep non-expired allergy relief medication on hand, forcing them to channel more funds to purchasing medicine rather than funding other programs. We need to value societal health and the safety of the health of our children over profits.
However, EpiPen is not the only choice for professionals, it is just much more consumer- friendly due to its easier and more well known application method. According to the Seattle Times, EMTs in Washington State are starting to use needles and epinephrine, the medication used in EpiPen, which costs only 2.50 a vial. However, because only trained professionals know the correct method and dosage for this way of application, EpiPen, the most well known and trusted household brand, is still the most viable choice for everyday people, making the increase in price so outrageous.
The increase of price of life saving drugs due to a monopoly should definitely be stopped. For now, all the consumers can do is wait for a generic EpiPen style injector, which is due to come out late 2016 when the EpiPen injector patent expires.
