D is for Dumb

I'm going to start this post off with a confession.  Usually I only read the L.A. Times for its coverage on the dodgers.  There I said it.  Anyways, so I'm really reading the L.A. Times this morning (it's a decent paper) and saw this article on Medicare Part D.  
Confessions number two and three in one sentence is I'm on medicare (1) but I never signed up for part D (2).  Why?  Great question.  I'm not made of money,  I'm pretty sick, and my drugs are expensive.  Some of the reason is spite I think.

I dislike pharmaceutical (wow, spelled that correctly in one take) companies a lot.  I see how in the media they are constantly pushing products in commercials, but on the news or C-span they are poor mouthing to elected officials or general public about how expensive it is to come up with these crazy new compounds (although mostly they just make sequels to previously patented products..how expensive is that?) and if we don't continue to pay full price (unlike every other country on the face of the earth!) the pipeline of lifesaving medications will dry up.  What they don't tell you is how they recruit doctors from all over the country and pay them to pitch their products on their lunch break to other doctors offices in their area.  

There is an army of salespeople who's only job is to drive to the same doctor's offices over and over pitching their companies product(s) (usually just one).  Just another one of those areas where you give an industry an inch (when advertising restrictions were eased on it) and they lobbied for an extra mile.

I have more reasons, but the vitriolic paragraph above was enough of a release to stop writing about things that piss me off.  I'm going to go take my pills now...ohhh...damnit!