Shkreli Awards: Medicine's Darkest Secrets Revealed

The Lown Institute's annual Shkreli Awards expose the most egregious abuses within the American healthcare system. These awards, named after infamous 'pharma bro' Martin Shkreli, do not celebrate innovation but rather highlight predatory practices ranging from extreme price gouging to the exploitation of vulnerable patients for financial gain.

Numerous cases reveal a system incentivizing profit over patient well-being. Examples include hospitals abandoning homeless patients and surgeons performing unnecessary procedures. Dr. Vikas Saini notes that the relentless pursuit of money has intensified over the last decade, making the current system increasingly untenable.

Addressing these deep-seated issues requires a significant societal movement, Saini believes. He argues that the current system actively incentivizes corruption and that change will likely necessitate external pressure, as many within the industry benefit from the status quo and resist reform efforts.