Bush Badgers Brits for Big Pharma

This is almost impossible to believe. U.S. trade zealots masquerading as health officials are in London this week to badger the British to adopt the U.S. drug industry model, according to The Guardian. The U.S. wants the British national health service to open its formularies to all drugs regardless of relative medical benefit vis-a-vis generics, allow direct-to-consumer advertising, and use insurance companies to deliver drug benefits.

In a visit with the newspaper's editors, U.S. deputy secretary of Health Alex Azar had this to say:

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

Ever watch The Daily Show when Jon Stewart rubs his eyes in disbelief? That's what I'm doing right now after reading that one.

Before joining the administration, Azar was a partner at Wiley, Rein and Fielding, a K-Street law firm with numerous pharmaceutical industry clients.