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Bill Novelli
Bill Novelli is CEO of AARP, a membership organization of 40 million people age 50 and older, half of whom remain actively employed. AARP’s mission is to enhance the quality[…]
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We are dependent on the pharmaceutical industry to save lives, so costs must come down.

Pharmaceuticals

Bill Novelli: The pharmaceutical industry has an important role to play in American health. First of all, this is a lifesaving industry. This is the industry that we hope is going to be able to control Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s and these other diseases of . . . of the elderly. So we are dependent upon the pharmaceutical industry. But at the same time, prescription drugs cost too much in this country, and we have to really move to generics. We have to get costs so that they’re affordable for people. We have to figure out a way so that the pharmaceutical companies can make a reasonable profit, and people can afford their drugs. And right now we’re not there.

Recorded on: 9/27/07

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