A fragmented health care industry combined with longer life expectancies is helping to push up the price of prescription drugs.

While pharmaceutical manufacturers point to increased costs of research and development for higher prices, the truth is that big pharma and its allies operate in an environment of secrecy, with no rhyme or reason when it comes to charges.

Richard George Boudreau explores why we find ourselves in such a predicament in this book. He raises several ethical concerns, chief among them being how much should actually be charged for drugs and whether the industry itself is behaving ethically. The author tackles questions such as:

Who are the industry players and what role have each played in the crisis?

How can we begin to solve the problem of high pharmaceutical costs?

How are overpriced drugs affecting vulnerable populations and society at large?

Solving the problem of high pharmaceutical costs won't be easy, but if stakeholders get together and do their part, it can be done. Health care providers who write prescriptions for drugs as well as the patients who take those drugs, however, must play a major role in ensuring prices remain affordable.