Big Pharma preys on seniors ...

Reuters reports that prices for medications commonly used by the elderly have increased close to double the rate of inflation. Since in the US these drugs are overpriced to begin with what we are witnessing with these increases is an even more massive transfer of money directly into the bulging veins to Big Pharma.

"CHICAGO, March 6 (Reuters) - Prices for about 200 prescription drugs in the United States commonly used by seniors rose nearly twice the rate of inflation, a seniors group said on Tuesday, making a case for letting the government negotiate drug prices.

Insomnia pill Ambien, made by Sanofi-Aventis ..., topped the list of steepest price increases, with a 30 percent rise in price in 2006, the report by the seniors' lobby AARP, formerly known as the American Association of Retired Persons, said." (continue reading Brand name drug prices soar for US seniors -- AARP)

The article ends with Big Pharma implying that the US pays high prices because many other countries pay less (those being the countries with enough intelligence to negotiate group discounts --you know that standard business practice that we can't seem to get the hang of here in Bush's America). Oh, and there's that huge research and development investment Big Pharma pretends they pay. No mention of the amount of our money that they put into advertising and subverting the medical profession to hand out their newest concoction without thinking.

Nothing new here. Privatization is just the latest in Robber Baron schemes.