Americans are paying $200 for prescriptions that would cost $20 if a generic alternative were available. These generics aren't available due to patent laws, protecting the company that discovered the medicine.
An $80 Billion a year fund that would award prize money to companies that discover new medication in return for patent rights would give researchers money immediately to reward their efforts and fund new work, slash the price of prescriptions by up to 90% and improve our fiscal standing by saving $250 Billion of the $300 Billion we're expected to spend on medicine in 2012.
Save individuals and the nation money by allowing companies to produce generic medicines and incentivise new, productive research instead of consumer price gouging.