what do you think would hapen if...

[newmum35]

What does everyone think would happen if vaccines and vaccine companies were suddenly required to be non-profit organizations?

Came across an article that was no great surprise, but which got me thinking

"Sanofi wants to double vaccine business"

http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssH...20847420091031

FRANKFURT, Oct 31 (Reuters) - Sanofi-Aventis (SASY.PA) wants to double its vaccine business in the next five years, its chief executive told a German newspaper on Saturday.

"We want to double it in the next five years. Its share in group sales will increase as a result from 10-11 percent to 15-16 percent," Chris Viehbacher told Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.

He said this was one of the reasons Sanofi-Aventis had bought a company in India, which has new vaccines, such as against cholera, in the pipeline.

There is also an enormous potential in Asia, he added.

[MyLilPwny]

Right now, it appears that the vaccine companies' number one goal is to increase shareholder's wealth in what ever way possible, even if it means harming people, which is fine in their eyes, as long as they become as wealthy as possible in doing so. So, if they were to become non-profit, hopefully that would not be their goal anymore but I wouldn't be so sure about it. That is because I used to work for a non-profit company and the non-profit companies are still allowed to make a considerable amount of profit, pay management and employees well, give bonuses, give gifts to employees, etc.; its just the difference is that the non-profit companies don't have to pay taxes on income.

[caned & able]

I am sure they would find a loop hole. Somewhere.

[newmum35]

Originally Posted by ThereseReich

Right now, it appears that the vaccine companies' number one goal is to increase shareholder's wealth in what ever way possible, even if it means harming people, which is fine in their eyes, as long as they become as wealthy as possible in doing so. So, if they were to become non-profit, hopefully that would not be their goal anymore but I wouldn't be so sure about it. That is because I used to work for a non-profit company and the non-profit companies are still allowed to make a considerable amount of profit, pay management and employees well, give bonuses, give gifts to employees, etc.; its just the difference is that the non-profit companies don't have to pay taxes on income.

I guess I just always thought "non-profit" meant volunteers - no paid workers. Oh well, guess in that case you are right - still the potential for great abuse there.

There needs to be another level of non-profit then - all volunteers and no paid workers.

[Noelle C.]

You do realize that, to qualify as a non-profit, a startling large percentage of it can still be used for salaries? The people at the top would still be just as rich as they are now. It's a misconception that to be non-profit, only a small salary can be drawn, and that most or all of the workers are volunteers.

[caned & able]

Blue Cross/Blue Shield used to be nonprofit until recently

[Deborah]

there are big non-profits, medium-sized and small. some good, some mediocre, some exploitive rip-offs.

the real problem with for-profit healthcare is that stockholders are at the head of the line for consideration, important staff (not the folks who scrub the bedpans) next and patients at the end of the queue. priorities are skewed.

with drug companies they operate like publishing companies

looking for blockbusters

while releasing a small number of less popular (but sometimes useful) drugs just to make them look socially valuable.

and spending a lot of money on promotion of product but not a huge amount on research (well, the parallel breaks down at this point).

[xmasbaby7]

Very large non profit organizations have a very different type of governance than large corporations that are publicly traded. Nonprofits usually have board that has the final say, whereas corporate boards ultimately report to its shareholders.

The incentive for profit is dramatically reduced which then results in lots of waste in expenses.

Even as nonprofits, vaccine manufacturers would find ways of being really reprehensible in their marketing, employee compensation.

But I cannot think of a nonprofit that is a manufacturer of anything as their sole mission. Anyone else? Nonprofits educate or provide intangible services, usually, not products.