During the Bush administration Congress prohibited the negotiation of prescription prices by Medicare, to the serious financial detriment to Americans above the age of 65, many on fixed incomes.
The U.S. drug industry charges excessively for many drugs sold in the U.S., whether patented or not, including generics, while lowering the prices elsewhere in the world for the same products.
There is no reasonable rationale for such inequity, and it reflects protectionism of an industry, which needs none, while currently the sentiment of some in Congress is to reduce coverage and raise costs of Medicare.