Who I'm referring to are the Democratic Congress.  And what I'm referring to is the alarm that top executives from two dozen drug companies are displaying about what appears to them to be a harsh new climate concerning negotiating lower drug prices for millions of older American's on Medicare.

Hoping to prevent Congress from letting the government negotiate these lower drug prices, the pharmaceutical companies have been recruiting Democratic lobbyists.  According to a Nov. 24 article in the NY Times, "Many drug company lobbyists concede that the House is likely to pass a bill intended to drive down drug prices, but they are determined to block such legislation in the Senate."  ISN'T that nice.  What a caring, compassionate group they are.  Oh, but wait a sec....With their hefty salaries, THEY don't have to make a choice whether they eat or get their meds this week.  Heck no.  THEY can have their cake and eat it too.  Well, yoo hoo.....many older American's cannot.  And as an RN that has witnessed such things, I'm here to tell you.....I only pray the Democrats do not cave on the side of these pharmaceutical companies.

The 2003 Medicare law prohibits the federal government from negotiating drug prices or establishing a list of preferred drugs.  Frank Pallone Jr. Democrat of New Jersey said, "The 2003 Medicare law was essentially written by the drug industry.  That's why you don't have negotiated prices.  Republican policies have served special interests like the pharmaceutical industry, and the American taxpayer is paying the price."  Nice.......very nice.

My husband was recently diagnosed with high blood pressure.  We'd found a new doctor but being in the healthcare industry, I'm very cautious to reserve my judgement if I like them or not until they prove to me they're a competent, intelligent, patient-advocate, member of the healthcare profession.  This doctor certainly won my vote of confidence.  Rather than prescribe one of the fancy dancy new BP meds available today......he said, "We'll try one of the old tried and true ones, HCTZ."  I'll be honest....I was pretty surprised. Sure, it's a good med.  Sure, it works very well.  But.....a one month supply is only $12.  He felt we'd start with that one, see if it did the trick and move on from there.  None of this prescribing the most expensive when a lower priced one will do the same thing.  It worked.  And an FYI for many of you.....many of those older, cheaper, drugs work just as well, if not better, than many of the designer ones on the market today.

As a member of the healthcare industry, I"m appalled at the price of meds and what some people have to go through in order to afford them every month.  America should be ashamed of themselves!  I'll never forget a home care patient I had....a diabetic.  We couldn't understand why his insulin wasn't working properly and lowering his blood sugar.  So one day on a visit, I asked the basic question, "What exactly are you eating?" as food greatly affects one's blood sugar.  He told me, "Not much.  My fridge is empty."  Thinking the patient was joking, I asked permission to check his refrigerator.  The man wasn't being humorous.  The fridge was about empty and when I questioned why he hadn't done any shopping, his response was, "I have to choose whether to buy food or pay for my medicines."  This was not an option for this man.....it was the very sad reality of being older, living on a fixed income and simply not able to afford the high price the drug industry gauges patients with.  And as many of you realize....eating well AND taking the meds is instrumental for a diabetic.

So I end this by saying.......I can only hope that all those Democrats I cast my vote for sure as hell won't cave.  With the Congress in place that I voted for, I'm now expecting some humane things be accomplished for the people of this country.  And by the way.....I grew up thinking that healthcare and prescription meds were not a luxury......they're a necessity.

See you tomorrow.........