Questions about the business practices of the pharmaceutical industry are growing along with its unprecedented profits. Critics say drugmakers put profit margins before human needs and sometimes jeopardize public safety. Consumer advocates and federal regulators complain about skyrocketing drug prices, misleading ads and cutthroat litigation. They also accuse the industry of buying influence in Washington to keep legislators, regulators and low-priced competitors at bay. The drug companies insist the criticism is overblown and say the proof of strong competition in the industry can be seen in the billions of dollars companies spend each year developing new products as well as the meteoric rise in generic drugs. Now the national spotlight on drugmakers is intensifying as lawmakers debate Medicare reform.

David Hatch is a veteran technology journalist based in Arlington, Va., who previously served as a staff writer with the National Journal Group and Crain Communications in Washington, DC. His publishing credits include The Daily, Dallas Morning News, Advertising Age, Crain's New York Business and the Boston Herald. He holds a B.A. in English from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.