We've Got The Public to Protect!

The good people of Pennsylvania (I am not piling on, it just happens to be the location) will be protected from the ravages of cheap medication:

A 67-year-old law is preventing Pennsylvania residents from obtaining the full list of $4 prescription drugs sold at Wal-Mart.

Will it take that many years to decide if the 1941 law is doing more harm than good?

A bill that would allow the $4 prescriptions has lingered in the state Legislature for 13 months, with no debate and no action scheduled.

In late 2006, Wal-Mart began selling 331 medications for $4 for a 30-day supply.

The drugs are generics -- cheaper equivalents of brand name drugs.

The $4 offerings include medications for many common illnesses, including infections, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease and depression.

Because of the 1941 law, 56 of the drugs have to sell for $9 in Pennsylvania.

Club for Growth links to the story and wonders "So...if you're a liberal, what side of the argument do you support? Do you defend Wal-Mart (God forbid) and repeal the law so that people can get their much-needed drugs at "an everyday" low price? Or do you side with the mom-and-pop pharmacies that supposedly can't compete against the big, bad Wal-Mart?"

We're from the government, and here to help. Posted by jk at April 29, 2008 5:56 PM