My Darling Democrat takes a lot of medications, due to some serious health issues. We are fortunate to have reasonably decent insurance, but there are still some medications that end up costing us as much as $30, or even $50, each every month because they are brand name drugs -- and other medications that are not a consideration for the same reason. If moreedications were generics, we would be talking about a cost of under $75. Now I understand that the higher-priced drugs are under patent, and the need to recoup development costs. Still, I expect a quick release of a generic after the patent goes off.
That isn't always happening.

The brand-name drug industry is aggressively working to keep blockbuster drugs widely used by the elderly from being sold in cheaper generic versions when their patents expire, the organization that represents pharmacy benefit managers said yesterday.

With an unprecedented number of top-selling drugs scheduled to go off patent within five years, the organization said, branded drug companies are constructing roadblocks to potential savings of $23 billion to seniors and the Medicare system.

"There's an agenda to prevent generics from getting to the market as soon as they could," said Mark Merritt, president of the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association, which conducted the study. The association represents companies that administer prescription drug plans for employers and government programs.

"If they succeed," Merritt said, brand-name drug companies "could reduce the savings significantly."

Ken Johnson, senior vice president for the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, disputed the charge and pointed to the high rate of generic drug usage in the United States as proof that branded companies are not keeping generics off the market. More than 53percent of prescriptions are filled with generic drugs.

"It would be more useful for the Pharmaceutical Care Association to collaborate with physicians and others in the health-care system to help achieve the highest quality of care for patients, and this includes use of new medicines which play a critical role in saving lives and reducing overall health costs," Johnson said.

What would be the cost differential for government if 14 commonly prescribed drugs within 4 years of patent expiration were to go generic immediately upon the expiration? Well, $13 billion just for Medicate -- and that doesn't include Medicaid, VA, and military expenditures. Nor does that take into account the savings to insurance companies (and, by extension, patients) if that happened. As i indicated, we are talking about a cost reduction in my household of some 60-70%. And i won't raise the issue of better outcomes for patients if the medications become more accessible financially.