One sting too many.

• Author: Mapes, James
• Position: ECONOMIC OBSERVER - Price of epinephrine

I CAME AS CLOSE to death as one can get without crossing over. Nine years ago, I was helping my wife empty a pot of soil in our backyard when we were swarmed by wasps. My limbs swelled; I lost consciousness; and emergency medical specialists just managed to revive me from the brink with a lifesaving shot of epinephrine. Since that day, my life depends on having a fresh, functional EpiPen available at all times. I am extremely fortunate to have comprehensive health insurance and the available funds to afford the copay to cover my medication, but not everyone is so lucky.

There are approximately 15,000,000 Americans dependent on EpiPen to quell a multitude of allergic reactions quickly, but many simply cannot afford it. The drug epinephrine is available for around $100 in Canada, and for less than one dollar in Mexico. In the U.S., a two-pack of Mylan-brand EpiPens costs more than $600.

Medications have become routine victims of corporate greed, a plight that increasingly is coming to light in the media. Mylan also has raised the price of the generic gallstone medication Ursodiol by more than 500%. The company's pricing for Metoclopramide and Dicyclomine have multiplied the cost of treating gastroesophageal reflux and irritable bowel syndrome, respectively, by more than 400%. Turing Pharmaceuticals CEO and "Pharma Bro" Martin Shkreli raised the price of the antiparasatic drug Daraphrimprices by more than 5,000%, as did Valeant with a crucial heart medication, increasing the price from $13.50 a tablet to $750 overnight.

These incidents are reflective of a deeper issue in society. Our companies are governed by the basest human instincts, instead of the core tenets of quantum leap thinking: respect, accountability, integrity, perseverance, and discipline. In order to live balanced, value-driven, exceptional lives, individuals must work tirelessly to advance the needs of our rational, conscious mind over the emotional, impulsive, fearful, suggestible subconscious ego. Why can't we encourage our corporations to do the same?

Imagine corporate governance at present as a giant pendulum that swings between greed and fear. When Mylan gained the rights to the EpiPen patent through an acquisition in 2007, the pendulum swung high into greed terrain, as executives ramped up marketing and distribution of the product under the guise of helping children and consumers, while quietly increasing the price fourfold. However, once the news media caught on to the...