BIG PHARMA

Okay, having made wild campaign promises about bringing down the cost of drugs, our "president" yesterday announced the fulfillment of his commitment: a huge gift to Big Pharma. No word about reviewing the Republican refusal to allow the government to negotiate prices. It's all about more companies making more profits. Stock prices for drug companies soared in response to Tr*mp's "plan."

What I heard, first hand, from Dr. Hans Keirstead's lips was a strong commitment to address the problem of soaring and unconscionable drug prices, and a refusal to accept campaign contributions from corporate interests. It's absurd that the government, the biggest purchaser of drugs through Medicare and Medicaid, should be prevented from negotiating prices.

So long as our health care system--including the supply of medications--is dominated by a for-profit system, the American people will be ill-served by it. Money that should be used to provide actual health care is being syphoned off into the pockets of insurance companies, drug companies, and big health care providers. It's truly shameful that we are the only affluent nation in the world--and the wealthiest, at that!--which fails to provide adequate access to health care for its citizens.