“Prescription drug manufacturers, represented by their trade and lobbying group, Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), have one of the most powerful and successful lobbies in Congress. Seeing them willing to give away $80 billion over the next ten years shows just how strong the push for health care reform is now and how much more savings could be had from prescription drug costs. Otherwise, PhRMA would just keep up its pressure on Congress to forestall any legislation that affected its members’ bottom line, as it has in the past. One of the drug lobby’s most significant victories came when the 2003 Medicare law, which added a long-awaited drug benefit to the program (Part D), was passed.” (07/02/09)