The Economics of 'Law and Order'

I do enjoy the show, but their economics? No so hot.

I don't know if you watch Law and Order Special Victims Unit but they had a rather frustrating take on the pharmacutical companies tonight.

In the episode one of their witnesses to a crime was suffering from heroin withdrawals. The doctor told the cops that he had to put the witness on methadone to help compensate for the withdrawal symptoms. But, he said, there was a better drug out there that could cure him of his heroin addiction, had side effects that were smaller than methadone, was in pill form (methadone apparently is administrated via IV), etc. Basically it was a wonder drug (can't remember what they called it).

So of course the cops ask the doctor why he is not using it and the doctor explains that the patent for this new drug has run out and since the FDA has not approved it yet no drug company is willing to run it thru the FDA trials to get it certified in the United States because they will not be able to make any money off it. Of course the cops start bad mouthing the "evil" drug companies and their lack of morals.

What I found interesting is no one bad mouthed the FDA: the true culprit in this "crime."