Unsurprisingly, it’s because of drug companies. But Consumerist, you ask, why would drug companies try to keep the prices of drugs artificially high? And how would they do it?

According to Consumer Reports Drug Companies have several tactics for delaying the release of generic drugs into the marketplace.

Here are a few of them:

• Legal Hassles: The FDA allows any person or company to file a citizen petition challenging generic-drug approval. Drug companies exploit the system by filing frivolous complaints. These complaints delay the approval of the generic and the drug company remains the only game in town. Neener, Neener.

• Bribes: Brand-name drug companies bribe generic-drug companies to stay out of the market. Who wouldn’t want to get paid to do nothing?

• The Walmart Technique: Drug companies repackaging their own products and going head-to-head with existing generic manufacturers, muscling them out of the market by reducing profit margins until there is really no point.

This is the sentence where we’d give you advice about what to do, but there really isn’t anything. Ha-ha. Drug companies win again.

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