Every once in a while you read a newspaper article that just makes you livid

[billyskank]

Open up NHS to our drug firms, White House demands

The White House is lobbying British ministers to allow the world's main drug companies unrestricted access to the NHS as part of a package of free market reforms for the service. The US government is positioning itself behind the giant pharmaceutical firms, predominantly based in America, which have been piling pressure on the body that approves drugs for use in hospitals and for prescription by GPs.

The drug companies claim that they are being held back by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence and have separately lobbied for it to be reformed.

In a surprising intervention, the US deputy health secretary, Alex Azar, forced the issue in London yesterday, ahead of talks with officials following a trip to the US last week by the health secretary, Patricia Hewitt. He said attempts to use rationing mechanisms such as Nice to cut soaring drugs bills would stifle innovation - an argument that is constantly made by the pharmaceutical industry.

Allowing all new drugs to be used in the NHS would result in the companies "fighting it out" on price, Mr Azar said, which would drive the drug bill down.

http://society.guardian.co.uk/health/story/0,,1947280,00.html

In my opinion, the US deputy health secretary can go fuck himself. We may have a far from perfect health care system, but America has nothing to teach us in that area. This guy is simply shilling for the American drug companies who are pissed because we have an independent body that approves drugs for use in the NHS. They want free access to our market. This shit about "it would drive the drug bill down" - how dare that motherfucker say that with a straight face? With American people paying thousands of dollars a year for their medicines!

:nuke: