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At Newsweek, and recent article reveals that testing for prescription drugs by drug companies report much higher and more positive results than non-industry trials. And, if this trend reveals a bias designed to sell these drugs, the related link to rising health insurance premiums has been unfairly punishing the average consumer.

In the article is says that "in 2003, a whopping 84 percent of trials with pharmaceutical-company involvement showed positive results, compared to just 54 percent for trials without industry backing."

A bias could be one reason why this is happening; prescription drug companies have a vested interest in the positive outcome of these trials - they'll make billions of dollars for the next big thing in prescription drugs.

But at the same time, prescription drug use is one of the biggest factors in rising health insurance costs. Those little pills come with a big pricetag, and as doctors prescribe them in the millions, healthcare costs rise toward the trillions.

The result? The average American can't pay for health insurance, or at least can't pay for the kind of coverage that they'd really like and need.

Hopefully upcoming legislation, combined with the implementation of Medicare Part D, will alleviate the burden somewhat. In any case, prescription drugs won't do anyone any good if patients can't afford to get them.