The spiraling costs of prescription drugs is a major issue. A lot of people simply can't afford their medications here and have to go to Canada to get affordable generics. The FDA claims that these drugs aren't safe, but they really are. They're made by the same companies using the same ingredients. In a way this is free market capitalism, why the Bush administration, who proports to be pro-capitalist, wants to stop it is beyond me. Canadians pay almost 80% less than US consumers do for drugs. There's a imbalance here that needs to be rectified. I see some problems with the current system. First off, we must understand that US drug companies are at the forefront of research and development of new medicines to cure all kinds of diseases, there are many incentives that can be utilized to allow these companies to continue in their research which makes the United States the top country in the world when it comes to medical research. The problem however is that there is a lack of competition within the industry. The companies keep prices unnecessarily high because they don't have to compete with generic brands; a small group of companies has a monopoly on the market. Interestingly enough, the pharmaceuticals spend about $2 Billion a year advertising on radio and TV asking consumers to ask their doctors to prescribe one of their medicines. That's a major waste, these costs are always passed on to the consumer as well. Let doctors do the prescribing, not the patient who saw a nice corporate ad on TV asking them to take a certain drug. It's irresponsible if you ask me. The Bush plan did little to solve the prescription drug problem, it's just a massive subsidy to the industry, a political payoff. Such high costs is what would make subsidized medicine such an expensive venture in this country. Major drug companies should compete with generics, that would in turn lower drug prices. This would make medicines more affordable to those who can't otherwise afford it.