1551 Hardy Outlook

There's been a lot in the news recently about some pretty important drugs going off-patent. What that means is the drug companies who've been making big gobs of money off designer drugs are going to have to allow generic versions to be made. Those generic versions will be significantly cheaper. And that means they'll most likely get used more.
Look out for Lipitor overdoses.
Or possibly bacon overdoses, as people increase their cholesterol load knowing they can get a cheap statin to clear their pipes.
Of course, that's not how drugs are supposed to be used but when did humans ever let a little thing like "supposed to" stand in the way of personal enjoyment.
Especially people from the baby boom generation—the "Me Generation." There was big ballyhoo last year as gerontologists and estate planners and insurance eldercarriers announced that the first of the boomers were turning 65. And the bulge of the baby-boom bulge gets bigger as we go from here.
I'm not worried about 2011. I'm not even worried Lipitor is going off patent. I'm worried about 2020.
The first of the baby boomers will be 75. They'll be sporting reconstructive surgery. New knees, new hips. various cosmetic implants, nips, and tucks. Their cataract surgeries will make their eyes 20/20 too. And a very expensive drug will be going off patent.
You guessed it, Viagra.
Cheap Viagra and the peak of the baby boomer bulge. Forget about the Mayans predicting the end of the world in 2012. 2020 will be civilization destruction by drugs. Pharmageddon.
And going generic will allow for drug blends as well. How about Geritol and Viagra? Geriagra. Or possibly Viatol. Talk about a pick me up.
All I know is, there'll be no rest in the rest home.
America, ya gotta love it.