At a recent political fundraiser I heard a congressman refer to the pharmaceutical industry as the “101st Senator” in the United States Senate. He was commenting on the tremendous influence that this industry holds over our elected officials in Washington. The pharma industry throws its influence and big bucks around the halls of power whenever a bill is introduced for consideration. In a democracy, each constituency has a right to voice their concerns. However, the public needs to be aware who influences their elected officials. Knowledge is power.