What do you folks think about senators and congressmen having stock in pharmaceutical companies such as Merck (large manufacturer of thermisol, additive in shots for kids and flu shots)?   Is it a conflict of interest for someone serving in Congress to make the rules for these companies?  

I think it blows!! Pharmaceutical companies are already sleeping with the FDA and the doctors. My sister is a pharmaceutical rep’ for a large company and she averages feeding a doctor and his entire staff lunch at least 3 times a week and takes the doctors and their wives and even their kids out to supper at least once a week. Her monthly allotted budget for “wining and dinning” is $4500.00 per month and I know for a fact that she goes over it many months and the company approves it when she does. Americans wonder why our drugs cost so much???!!!

I don’t wonder why they cost so much, I’ve known for a while, sickening as it is…but mostly I wonder why they can’t just get to the root cause of a sickness instead of treating symptoms with pharmaceuticals.