Just give us cheaper drugs!

There is something seriously wrong when a person has to spend $115 a month (which represents 10% of their paycheck) for insulin medication --- and yet, the medication could have been cheaper had the FDA released guidelines for generic versions of insulin to be produced. (According to The New York Times article, "States Push for Cheaper Insulin," the FDA had announced it would release these guidelines in 2001--- but never did because they were influenced by the brand name drug companies not to).

We clearly understand brand name companies would do anything they can to prevent other drug companies from being allowed to produce a generic version of insulin (after all, it is a $3.3Billion/yr market). We also understand the pharma companies have had a strong hold on our government, but when (republican) governors are asking for generic drugs and a (republican) senator is asking why the guidelines have not been released by the FDA, it (among other matters) is an indication that the pharma strong hold has gone overboard.

We need to allow generic versions of insulin to be produced--- under strict guidelines and regulations so as to not put people at risk. We need to provide more competition among the drug companies so as to lower prices.

Spending 10% of your paycheck on drugs (which can be cheaper had it not been for politics) is ridiculous.